jUN  131921 


BV  1540  .D3 

Lessons  for  teachers  of 
beginners 


Danielson.  Frances  Weld 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS 
OF  BEGINNERS 


A    DECLARATION    OF    INDEPENDKNCE 


Lessons  for  Teachers 
of  Beginners 


^:.i  OF  Pfi/vc^ 


JUM  131921 


.-*> 


'<LO^.\^M  Sf.^AJ^ 


^•v 


6y 
Frances  Weld  Danielsom 


THE  PILGRIM  PRESS 


Boston 


Chicago 


Copyright,  19x4 

by 

Frances  Weld  Danielsom 


Fourth  Printing 


THE  PILGRIM  PRESS 
BOSTON 


INTRODUCTION 

"I  am  not  worthy  to  be  a  teacher  of  little  children" 
may  be  the  sincere  cry  of  a  fine  nature,  or  it  may  be  the 
false  claim  of  a  Uriah  Heep.  The  distinction  can  be 
clearly  seen  by  the  attempt  that  is  made  to  become  more 
worthy.  The  Uriah  Heep  type  of  teacher  combines  with 
her  protestations  of  humility  a  secret  satisfaction  with  her 
ideals  and  methods,  and  steadfastly  maintains  her  dead 
level.  The  truly  humble  teacher  grasps  at  every  possible 
means  to  increase  her  efficiency. 

In  the  Sunday-school  teaching  force  there  is  every  va- 
riation of  satisfied  stagnation,  inert  discouragement  and 
the  noble  discontent  that  not  only  sees  visions,  but  is  ready 
to  labor  to  attain  them.  It  is  for  teachers  of  the  last 
sort  that  the  following  lessons  are  written,  to  assist  them 
in  achieving  their  purpose. 

A  criticism  of  modern  educational  methods  is  that 
the  memory  of  the  child  is  developed  more  highly  than 
his  power  to  think,  and  the  tide  is  gradually  turning 
toward  the  cultivation  of  the  reason.  So  the  teacher  of 
today  needs  not  only  to  be  familiar  with  the  views  of 
educational  leaders ;  she  should  have  opinions  of  her  own. 
Mere  knowledge  or  repetition  of  the  conclusions  formed 
by  others  amounts  to  little  unless  it  has  passed  through 
the  lens  of  her  own  reason. 

The  list  of  books  on  psychology,  child  study  and  peda- 
gogy is  a  notable  one,  and  these  lessons  make  no  pretcn- 

[v] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

sion  to  add  to  the  teacher's  knowledge  on  any  of  these 
subjects.  Their  purpose,  rather,  is  to  stimulate  her  to 
think  independently,  to  make  her  own  observations,  and 
to  gain  ability  through  practise. 

In  order  to  be  helpful  to  groups  of  teachers  or  teachers' 
unions,  the  lessons  are  arranged  for  use  in  a  class,  the 
leader  of  which  should  employ  the  questions  and  sugges- 
tions for  discussion  to  draw  out  the  thought  of  all  its 
members.  Reviews  of  books,  papers,  or  reports  of  re- 
search work  done  outside  the  class  may  well  be  recog- 
nized by  a  certificate  at  the  end  of  the  course.  The 
lessons  are  purposely  made  suggestive  rather  than  ex- 
haustive, that  they  may  be  practical  when  the  class  period 
is  short. 


tvi] 


CONTENTS 

LESSON  PAGE 

I  Knowing  the  Children              ...  x 

II  The  Significance  of  Childhood            .            .  6 

III  The    Significance   of    Childhood    (continued)  12 

IV  Children    as   Individuals           ...  19 
V  A  Little  Child's  Religion          ...  25 

VI  A  Little  Child's  Religion   (continued)             .  33 

VII  A  Little   Child's  Lessons            ...  39 

VIII  The  Value  of  the  Story              ...  47 

IX  How  to  Tell  a  Story      ....  54 

X  Practise  in  Story-Telling          ...  60 

XI  Building  the  Program— The  Story  Period     .  65 

XII  Building  the  Program— The  Circle  Talk       .  72 

XIII  Building  the  Program— The  Circle  Talk   (cont'd)     79 

XIV  Practise  in  Conducting  the  Circle  Talk        .  85 
XV  Building  the  Program — The  Remaining  Parts  91 

XVI  The  Importance  of  Music        ...  97 

XVII  Seeing  and   Touching  ....  104 

XVIII  Learning  Through  Doing        .            .            .  no 

XIX  Utilizing  the  Play  Instinct      ...  118 

XX  Our   Surroundings          ....  125 

XXI  Making  the  Machinery  Run  Smoothly           •  133 

XXII  Home   Cooperation         ....  140 

XXIH  Festival  Days     .            .            .            .            .  146 

XXIV  The  Children's  Response          ...  153 

[vii] 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


A  Declaration  of  Independence 


The  Age  of  Dependence     . 

A  Fearless  Horseman 

"I  Woke  Up  Once  in  the  Night" 

Furnace  Room  Uhlized 

View  Showing  Room  Arrangement 

View  Showing  Screen  around  the  Furnace 

A  Little  Helper  .... 


Frontispiece 
facing 

PAGE 

7 

15 

28 

125 

129 

131 
158 


C«] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF 
BEGINNERS 

LESSON  I 

Knowing  the  Children 

My  teachers  are  the  children, — Friedrich  Froebel 

The  Necessity- 
Yesterday  the  first  step  in  the  education  of  the  teacher 
was  the  study  of  the  subjects  it  was  her  duty  to  impart 
to  the  child,  who  was  looked  upon  as  an  empty  receptacle 
into  which  knowledge  must  be  poured.  Today  the  first 
step  is  the  study  of  the  child,  who  is  believed  to  possess 
instincts  that  it  is  the  teacher's  function  to  develop. 

A  wise  educator  has  said,  "The  answer  to  the  question. 
How  to  teach?  is  contained  in  the  answer  to  a  second 
question,  How  is  the  child  able  to  learn?"  The  reply  to 
this  comes  from  the  child  himself,  and  those  only  are 
competent  to  answer  it  who  know  him — his  nature,  his 
instincts,  his  feelings,  his  abilities. 

Did  you  ever  think  of  the  intimate  acquaintance  Luther 
Burbank  must  have  had  with  plants  before  he  was 
able  to  make  improvements  in  them?  And  he  did  not 
know  simply  the  plant,  but  the  cactus,  the  dahlia  and  the 
pcach-trcc.  It  was  through  his  knowledge  of  the  pecu- 
liarities of  these  particular  plants  that  he  was  able  to 

[1] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

eliminate  the  spine  from  the  cactus,  to  give  the  dahlia 
fragrance,  and  to  cultivate  a  peach-tree  that  v^^ill  resist 
frost. 

So  the  teacher  must  knovi^  John  and  Mary  and  Sarah, 
before  she  is  fitted  to  form  a  composite  picture  called  "the 
child,"  the  accuracy  of  which  is  in  proportion  to  the 
number  of  individuals  w^ho  w^ent  to  form  it.  For  it  is 
the  child  she  is  to  teach  rather  than  any  subject. 

The  Method 

Once  convinced  of  its  importance,  how^,  then,  shall  we 
set  to  work  to  know  children?  Shall  we  go  first  to  the 
library  and  steep  ourselves  in  other  people's  knowledge? 
Shall  we  analyze  children  as  a  botanist  analyzes  flowers? 
Shall  we  begin  by  painting  an  ideal  picture  of  children  as 
our  standard? 

I  find  certain  objections  to  any  of  these  methods,  as 
the  beginning  of  intimacy  with  children.  Perchance, 
while  we  are  deep  in  a  book  on  child  study,  a  real  child 
passes  by  unobserved.  As  the  poet  finds  in  a  flower  some- 
thing besides  petals  and  stamens  and  pistil,  so  the  child- 
lover  sees  that  in  a  child  to  which  the  child-botanist  is 
blind.  And  in  regard  to  the  ideal  painting,  I  challenge 
the  imagination  of  any  one  who  does  not  know  children 
to  exceed  the  charm  of  the  reality. 

It  was  Froebel,  that  wonderful  seer,  who  disclosed  the 
secret,  in  his  rally  cry  to  all  who  would  help  childhood, 
"Come,  let  us  live  with  our  children!" 

Mothers  have  a  great  advantage  over  other  women  in 
living  with  their  children,  at  least,  literally;  yet  I  some- 
times wonder  if  many  mothers  do  not  live  with  their  chil- 
dren's bodies,  and  dwell  quite  outside  the  realm  of  their 

[2] 


KNOWING  THE  CHILDREN 

minds.  There  are  mothers  who  are  better  nurses  than 
companions;  but  the  mothers  who  do  enter  into  the 
mental  and  moral,  as  well  as  the  physical  life  of  their 
children,  have  a  wonderful  opportunity  to  become  so  sym- 
pathetic with  child  nature  that  they  will  be  a  blessing  to 
childhood,  long  after  their  own  little  ones  are  men  and 
w^omen. 

And  is  this  call  of  Froebel  to  mothers  only?  Because 
a  woman  neither  bears  nor  rears  children,  is  she  barred 
out  of  their  lives?  She  may  enter,  if  she  will.  She  may 
be  the  enchanting  story-teller,  who  comes  with  her  tales 
at  bedtime.  She  may  be  the  fairy  godmother,  who 
touches  the  dullest  task  with  her  wand  and  turns  it  into 
a  fascinating  game.  She  may  be  the  lady  who  gives 
parties  for  children,  even,  they  will  tell  you,  when  it  is  not 
her  birthday.  She  may  be  the  fascinating  correspondent,  as 
Phillips  Brooks  was  to  his  nephews  and  nieces.  She  may 
be  the  grown-up  visitor  who  is  watched  for,  the  chosen 
companion  for  a  walk,  the  confidante  of  small  secrets,  the 
recipient  of  baby  gifts. 

You  think  by  so  doing  she  is  getting  far  away  from 
Sunday-school  teaching?  Ah,  no!  she  is  drawing  very, 
very  close,  for,  little  by  little,  she  is  entering  into  the  minds 
and  hearts  of  the  children  she  teaches.  She  is  learning  to 
speak  their  language,  to  enjoy  their  pleasures,  to  think 
their  thoughts,  to  realize  their  needs. 

The  Example 

Do  we  require  an  example?  We  have  one  that  is 
notable.  When  mothers  brought  their  little  ones  to  Jesus 
and  the  disciples  sent  them  away,  even  an  ardent  child- 
lover  of  this  age  can  appreciate  their  point  of  view.     The 

[3] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

pressing  needs  of  the  sick  and  the  sinning,  the  work  of 
extending  the  new  teaching  that  was  bringing  life  to  an 
old  religion  were  so  important  that  surely  children  could 
wait — children,  who,  so  far  as  we  know,  were  neither  sick 
nor  needy  but  quite  normal.  In  a  sentence  Jesus  made 
a  total  readjustment  of  values,  as  he  said,  "Suffer  the 
little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not," 
and  turned  from  the  crowd  to  cultivate  the  friendship  of 
children. 

The  Reward 

You  may  well  feel  that  your  labor  to  gain  a  knowledge 
of  children  is  rewarded  by  your  increased  power  as  a 
teacher,  and  that  the  love  of  children  which  comes  from 
a  deeper  acquaintance  is  a  blessing  beyond  compare.  But 
if,  in  the  pride  of  j^our  heart,  or  in  the  real  desire  to  be  of 
service,  you  are  filled  with  an  undue  sense  of  your  im- 
portance to  childhood,  look  into  your  own  life,  and  see 
what  their  companionship  means  to  you. 

You  are  aging  and  would  fain  call  back  youth?  But 
see,  your  old-time  enthusiasm,  your  credulity,  your 
optimism  are  coming  back!  They — the  little  ones — arc 
bringing  them  to  you.  You  are  young?  Yes,  but  the 
self-control,  the  patience,  the  poise,  the  sympathy  that 
crude  youth  lacks — all  this  you  are  gaining.  They — the 
children — are  demanding  it  of  you.  You  are  a  mother 
burdened  with  your  responsibility?  Your  wider  ac- 
quaintance with  childhood  is  giving  you  a  new  grasp  of 
your  own  children's  problems.  You  have  missed  mother- 
hood ?  Here  is  your  opportunity  to  wear  for  a  time  that 
crown. 

You  may  say  that  you  cannot  afford  the  time  for  this 

[4]    . 


KNOWING  THE  CHILDREN 

study  of  children,  but  whoever  you  are,  old  or  young, 
married  or  single,  busy  or  idle,  let  me  tell  you  that  rather, 
a  thousand  times  rather,  you  cannot  afford  to  miss  the 
wonderful  privilege. 

SUGGESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  What  opportunities  has  a  teacher  in  a  city  Sunday  school 
to  become  acquainted  with  her  children  during  the  week?  a 
teacher  in  a  country  school  ? 

2.  Explain  why  joining  children  in  their  play  helps  one  to 
understand  them. 

3.  Where  outside  of  Sunday  school  can  a  teacher  tell  stories 
to  children,  and  how  will  this  help  her  in  her  teaching? 

4.  Name  some  stories  that  appeal  to  children  of  this  age. 
Good  sources  are  "How  to  Tell  Stories  to  Children,"  and 
"Stories  to  Teil  to  Children,"  by  Sara  Cone  Bryant. 

5.  Do  you  agree  with  the  ideas  in  Chapter  I.  from  "The  Chil- 
dren of  the  Future,"  by  Nora  Archibald  Smith? 

6.  Read  and  comment  upon  pages  1-4,  from  "Talks  with  the 
Training  Class,"  by  Margaret  Slattery. 


t5] 


LESSON  II 
The  Significance  of  Childhood 

When  I  was  a  child,  I  spake  as  a  child,  I  felt  as  a  childj 
I  thought  as  a  child, — Paul  the  Apostle 

Has  It  Meaning? 

Scarcely  more  distinct  are  the  four  stages  of  the  butter- 
fly— the  egg,  the  caterpillar,  the  crysalid  and  the  winged 
creature — than  are  childhood,  youth,  middle  age  and  old 
age  in  a  human  life.  Each  period  has  its  peculiar  quali- 
ties, and  an  important  result  of  the  child  study  suggested 
in  the  last  chapter  is  an  understanding  of  the  general 
characteristics  of  childhood. 

Perhaps  the  first  question  to  settle  is  our  attitude  to 
these  universal  tendencies.  Are  they  to  be  eradi- 
cated or  promoted?  Are  they  implanted  by  the 
Creator  merely  that  the  child  may  gain  strength  through 
overcoming  them?  Is  it  God's  plan  that  human  nature 
be  made  over  entirely  in  order  to  please  him  who  formed 
it?  For,  whatever  may  be  said  concerning  individual 
traits,  it  seems  hardly  possible  that  qualities  common  to 
childhood  should  come  to  it  by  chance.  Is  the  efficient 
teacher  to  be  armed  with  a  pruning  knife?  Are  bird, 
beast  and  fish  provided  with  instincts  necessary  for  their 
existence,  while  the  child's  inborn  characteristics  must  be 
rooted  out  before  he  can  be  called  a  child  of  God  ? 

r6i 


'IHE    AGE    OF    DEPENDENCE 


THE    SIGNIFICANCE   OF   CHILDHOOD 

The  only  way  for  us  to  come  to  a  decision  is  to  con- 
sider these  general  characteristics  and  judge  whether  they 
are  helps  or  hindrances  to  the  child's  development.  We 
must  not  make  the  mistake  of  viewing  them  as  they  appear 
in  old  age,  middle  age  or  youth,  but  decide  whether  they 
are  an  asset  or  detriment  to  childhood,  with  its  limita- 
tions ;  whether  they  prepare  or  disqualify  for  later  periods 
of  life;  and  whether  it  is  possible  that  these  very  tend- 
encies, which  might  be  distinctly  evil  carried  on  to  man- 
hood or  womanhood  in  the  same  form,  may  not  have  their 
function  in  childhood. 

Is  It  Inferior  to  Animal  Life? 

Children  are  frequently  termed  'little  animals,"  but  in 
one  important  respect  they  appear  to  start  out  in  life 
rather  less  advantageously.  How  does  a  child  of  a  week 
compare  in  his  physical  equipment  for  the  world  with  a 
bird  of  the  same 'age?*  Has  a  colt  any  advantage  over 
him,  when  both  are  a  few  days  old?  If  you  had  to 
depend  entirely  upon  yourself  at  birth,  which  would  you 
prefer  to  be,  a  child  or  a  codfish?  Has  a  four  or  five- 
year-old  child  reached  the  full  development  of  his  physi- 
cal powers?  Compare  such  a  child  with  the  animals 
referred  to,  at  a  similar  age.  What,  then,  shall  we  note 
as  a  universal  characteristic  of  little  children  in  contrast 
to  young  animals? 

^The  questioning  method  is  employed  to  draw  out  the  thought 
of  the  class,  and  to  induce  discussion.  The  blackboard  should 
be  used  to  record  conclusions  formed,  but  it  is  pedantic  and 
deadly  to  original  thought  and  inductive  teaching  to  insist  upon 
any  special  word  or  phrase  in  the  teacher's  mind.  The  sugges- 
tions of  the  class  should  be  used  if  they  express  the  idea,  even 
though  less  felicitously,  the  object  being  to  stimulate  thought,  not 
to  produce  perfect  outlines. 

[7] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

At  first  consideration  this  prolonged  helplessness  (de- 
pendence or  weakness)  seems  a  decided  disadvantage.  On 
further  thought  we  wonder  whether  it  can  have  any  con- 
nection with  the  great  contrast  in  human  and  animal 
family  relations.  Of  how  long  duration  is  a  mare's  fond- 
ness for  her  colt  ?  Parent  birds' care  of  their  young?  Is 
there  such  a  thing  as  codfish  family  life?  Might  the  long 
need  of  nurture  promote  love  between  parents  and  chil- 
dren? Would  you,  then,  consider  it  better  for  a  child  to 
require  care  for  a  comparatively  long  time  than  to  start 
out  in  life  highly  developed  ?  Do  you  see  God's  hand  in 
this? 

Is  It  Handicapped? 

Look  also  at  the  mind  of  a  little  child.  Is  he  born 
with  knowledge  of  the  world  into  which  he  comes,  as  the 
codfish  seems  to  be?  Even  though  he  may  be  too  weak 
to  feed  and  clothe  and  care  for  himself,  does  he  know 
how?  If  only  the  accumulated  knowledge  of  his  ances- 
tors had  descended  upon  him,  so  that  he  might  begin  where 
they  left  off!  What  a  pity  that  his  father's  learning,  as 
well  as  his  property,  is  not  a  part  of  his  heritage !  Why 
must  he  begin  life  inarticulate  and  ignorant,  when  the 
wild  creatures  can  speak  their  language  and  get  their 
own  food  soon  after  birth? 

Yet,  handicapped  as  he  appears  to  be  at  first,  he  soon 
leaves  his  animal  contemporaries  far  behind.  He  has  in- 
herited capacities  for  obtaining  knowledge  far  greater 
than  those  of  any  animal.  If  his  knowledge  were  ready- 
made,  would  there  be  a  chance  for  original  development? 
It  is  often  said  that  no  two  children  are  alike.  How 
about  young  codfishes  ?    Higher  in  the  animal  scale  there 

[8] 


THE    SIGNIFICANCE   OF   CHILDHOOD 

are  greater  individual  differences,  but  they  are  slight  com- 
pared with  those  seen  in  human  beings.  Isn't  it  plain 
that  the  very  ignorance  of  childhood  is  an  asset,  a  plan  of 
God? 

Its  Timidity 

There  is  an  emotional  characteristic  of  little  children, 
which  is  the  natural  result  of  their  ignorant  helplessness. 
The  story  of  a  little  boy's  day  will  help  you  to  think  what 
this  is. 

In  the  morning  this  little  boy  comes  running  in  from 
his  play.  "Bear!  naughty  big  bear!"  he  cries.  His  mother 
soothes  him  and  explains  that  the  big  dog  is  not  a  bear, 
but  a  delightful  playmate.  She  takes  him  to  walk  and 
a  stranger  pats  him  on  the  head,  whereupon  he  hides 
behind  her.  They  attempt  to  cross  the  street  and  he 
draws  back  as  a  puffing,  snorting  automobile  rushes  past. 
In  the  afternoon  lightning  flashes  and  thunder  rolls, 
whereupon  he  hurries  to  his  protector,  in  tears  at  the  un- 
usual noise.  At  night,  when  the  dark  blots  out  all  the 
dear,  familiar,  household  things,  his  mother's  lap  seems 
the  only  safe  place. 

Is  this  a  natural  picture?  Not  every  child  is  as  fearful, 
but  this  little  boy's  fears  are  those  typical  of  childhood. 
Surely  this  cannot  be  God's  plan,  you  say,  unless  he  de- 
sires a  race  of  cowards.  However,  when  animals  are  too 
weak  to  challenge  danger,  they  flee  from  it.  May  not 
the  child's  fear  be  a  necessary  consequence  of  his  igno- 
rant helplessness,  tending  to  self-preservation?  Suppose 
the  harmless  dog  had  been  a  bear?  Is  it  safe  for  a 
child  to  go  to  any  stranger?  Loud  noises  and  swiftly- 
moving  objects  are  often  a  menace  to  his  welfare;  and  if 

[9] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

the  dark  were  to  him  as  the  daylight,  into  what  dangers 
might  he  not  fall? 

Certainly  we  do  not  wish  the  little  child  to  be  timid 
all  his  life,  but  what  we  are  considering  now  is  the  im- 
mediate effect  of  fear  upon  him.  Many  psychologists 
call  the  universal  fears  of  childhood,  such  as  those  men- 
tioned above,  a  heritage  of  the  race,  because  the 
child  needs  them  for  his  safety,  as  did  his  savage 
ancestors.  They  do  appear  to  be  really  from  God,  even 
though  we  try  to  modify  or  eradicate  them  in  later  years. 

Its  Lack  of  Self-Control 

Who  that  knows  children  has  not  grieved  over  the  sight 
of  an  infuriated  little  boy  lying  on  the  floor  screaming 
with  rage,  or  a  flushed  little  girl  striking  out  with  her 
fists  or  even  biting  some  offender!  Such  manifestations 
bring  children  close  to  the  level  of  animals.  "The  little 
beast!"  we  exclaim.     "The  young  savage!" 

James  Sully  says  of  the  child,  "That  he  often  shows 
so  close  a  resemblance  to  the  brute  suggests  how  little 
ages  of  civilized  life  with  the  suppression  of  these  furious 
impulses  have  done  to  tame  down  the  ancient  and  care- 
fully transmitted  instincts." 

And  yet,  can  you  honestly  say  that  it  would  be  better 
for  a  child  never  to  experience  anger?  The  anger  of 
animals  results  in  their  self-protection.  Is  it  sometimes 
so  with  children?  Would  you  admire  a  child  who 
tamely  submitted  to  injury  or  opposition?  Has  anger  a 
legitimate  function  in  adult  life?  Did  Christ  ever  show 
anger?  Mention  instances  of  passionate  outbreaks  of 
children  and  their  causes.  Should  you  say  that  these 
causes  were  usually  selfish  or  altruistic?     Might  the  cause 

[lo] 


THE    SIGNIFICANCE   OF   CHILDHOOD 

determine  whether  anger  is  right  or  wrong?  Do  you  feel 
that  there  can  be  any  divine  plan  in  this  apparently  un- 
pleasant characteristic  ? 

Its  Self -Absorption 

Isn't  the  child  a  pretty  selfish  sort  of  being?  He  be- 
gins life  crying  for  food  and  warmth.  At  four  and  five 
he  is  scarcely  capable  of  any  great  self-sacrifice.  We  see  the 
same  tendency  in  the  animal  world,  calling  it  the  "Strug- 
gle for  Life"  and  the  result  the  "Survival  of  the  Fittest." 
The  instinct  lor  self-preservation,  the  "will  to  live,"  is 
predominant. 

Could  life  continue  without  it?  The  infant  whose 
cries  did  not  proclaim  his  lack  of  nutriment  might  starve 
to  death.  When  we  think  of  this  aspect  of  the  case, 
selfishness  resolves  itself  into  "self-feeling,"  as  this  phase 
of  childhood  has  been  happily  termed,  and  the  possibility 
of  eventually  attaining  the  heights  of  self-sacrifice  seems 
none  the  less  because  of  early  childhood's  absorption  in 
itself,  that  it  may  protect  and  know  itself. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Review  "The  Meaning  of  Infancy,"  by  John  Fiske. 

2.  Give  your  opinion  of  "Child  Nature  and  Child  Nurtqre," 
by  Edward  P.  St.  John,  pages  31-37;  or  "Children's  Ways,"  by 
James  Sully,  chapters  7  and  8. 

3.  Mention  evidences  of  fear  you  have  observed  in  children. 

4.  Are  your  views  on  children's  anger  influenced  by  "Child 
Nature  and  Child  Nurture,"  pages  44-51? 

5.  Give  your  ideas  on  the  necessity  or  disastrous  eflPect  of 
"self-feeling"  in  children. 

6.  State  your  reasons  for  considering  the  characteristics  dis- 
cussed divinely  planned  or  matters  of  chance. 


[II] 


LESSON  III 

The  Significance"  of  Childhood  {continued) 

One  of  the  greatest  lines  of  work  lies  before  us:  the 
understanding  of  little  children,  in  order  that  they  may 
be  properly  trained. — Elizabeth  Harrison 

The  Natural  Way  of  Growth 

Imagine  yourself  in  a  room  with  a  number  of  little 
children  entirely  unrestrained.  What  would  you  notice 
about  them?  Is  the  same  thing  characteristic  of  your 
Beginners'  circle,  before  the  session?  For  how  long  have 
you  seen  a  little  child  keep  perfectly  quiet?  Did  this 
physical  activity  begin  in  babyhood?  As  you  deal  with 
children,  do  you  find  it  annoying?  Shouldn't  they  be 
forced  to  be  quiet?  Is  this  a  possibility?  Do  you  see 
any  reason  for  such  constant  motion? 

I  like  Drummond's  fancy  of  primitive  man  sitting  in 
the  sun,  with  no  desire  to  do  otherwise,  till  nature  by 
moving  forces  him  to  action.  The  sun  moves  to  the  west 
and  he  must  move  or  freeze.  The  wild  creatures  move 
toward  him  and  he  is  obliged  to  escape  them.  His  food 
does  not  fall  into  his  lap ;  he  must  get  it.  And  so  through 
this  forced  activity  he  grows  capable  of  more  diverse 
deeds.  He  is  no  longer  a  mere  being  sitting  in  the  sufT:. 
He  is  a  hunter,  a  builder,  a  thinking,  acting,  developing 
man. 

[12] 


THE    SIGNIFICANCE   OF    CHILDHOOD 

I  like,  too,  the  first  picture  of  Froebel's  ''Mother  Play," 
called  *Tlay  with  the  Limbs."  It  depicts  a  mother's  in- 
stinctive encouragement  of  her  baby's  impulse  toward 
activity  by  pressing  against  the  tiny  kicking  feet.  It 
illustrates,  also,  in  sketches  of  a  whirling  mill-wheel,  a 
toiling  woman  and  spreading  trees,  the  great  principle  of 
development  through  self-activity. 

If  stagnation  is  a  sign  of  death,  there  are  possibilities  of 
increased  life  in  a  child's  activity.  That  it  should  be 
guided  is  as  evident  as  that  the  fear  and  anger  and  self- 
feeling  necessary  to  childhood  must  be  modified  as  a  child 
grows.  That  the  activity  of  childhood  spells  future 
power  is  equally  apparent.  Thus  in  an  infant's  kicks  and 
a  little  child's  restlessness  we  discover  the  far-seeing  plan 
of  the  Father  of  all. 

How  the  World  Enters 

Not  only  is  a  child's  body  in  almost  constant  motion, 
but  his  mind  is  equally  active  absorbing  the  impressions 
that  come  trooping  in  through  the  five  avenues  that  lead 
from  the  w^orld  to  himself. 

"As   each  new  life  is  given  to  the  world, 
The  senses — like  a  door  that  swings  two  ways — 
Stand  ever  'twixt  its  inner,  waiting  self 
And  that  environment  with  which  its  lot 
Awhile  is  cast. 

A  door  that  swings  two  ways: 

Inward  at  first  it  turns,  while  Nature  speaks, 

Then  outward,  to  set  free  an  answering  thought." 

At  this  age  are  the  senses  very  impressionable? 
Through  what  senses  does  the  child  gain  most  knowledge? 
Is  he  capable  of  arranging  and  coordinating  his  impres- 

[13] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

sions?  Can  you  see  why  early  quick  perceptions  are 
necessary  to  acquaintance  with  the  world?  Think  of  the 
full  storehouse  the  child  will  have  to  draw  upon  in  years 
to  come! 

A  Pleasant  Means  to  Knowledge 

One  way  in  which  a  child's  mental  activity  shows 
itself  you  must  all  have  observed.  Why  does  a  baby  wave 
his  hand?  Is  it  a  child's  natural  manner  of  saying  good 
bye?  No;  he  is  trying  to  imitate  the  motion  of  his 
mother's  hand,  that  he  has  often  seen  waved.  Over  and 
over  again  his  patient  mother  says  "Mamma"  to  an  ap- 
parently unresponsive  listener,  til  one  day  he  attempts  to 
reproduce  the  word.  The  dog  barks  and  he  calls  him  a 
**bow-wow,"  the  clock  is  a  ''tick-tick,"  the  engine  a  "choo- 
choo," — these  names  being  mere  imitations  of  the  noises 
made. 

He  grows  older  and  we  see  him  at  his  play — prancing 
like  a  horse,  teaching  like  his  school  teacher,  pounding  as 
the  carpenter  pounds,  and  marching  as  the  soldier  marches. 
Most  of  these  early  plays  are  merely  imitating  the  activ- 
ities about  him. 

And  is  this  of  any  use  at  all,  do  you  ask?  Can  God 
wish  his  children  to  be  mere  copyists,  only  reflections  of 
those  around  them?  Ah,  but  think  what  a  child  learns 
through  imitation !  He  understands  the  meaning  of  any- 
thing he  acts  out.  It  becomes  part  of  himself.  Thus 
language  is  acquired,  thus  a  child  gains  skill  in  the  use  of 
his  hands,  and  thus,  through  learning  to  comprehend  the 
life  of  others,  he  takes  a  long  step  from  egoism  to  "other- 
ism,"  and  the  distant  future  shows  us  the  early  manifesta- 

[14] 


A    FEARLESS    HORSEMAN 


THE    SIGNIFICANCE    OF    CHILDHOOD 

tions  of  imitation  grown  into  the  endeavor  to  pattern  his 
life  after  the  life  of  Christ. 

A  Wondrous  Gift 

We  need  not  fear  that  children  will  become  uninter- 
esting and  uniform,  for  there  is  one  characteristic  of 
childhood  that  saves  them  from  this.  Let  us  take  a  walk 
with  a  child  I  know,  and  you  will  understand  what  I 
mean.  We  pass  a  field  where  corn-stalks  are  piled  up. 
"See  the  funny  old  women  bowing  at  each  other,"  she 
says.  The  next  moment  she  pulls  my  hand  and  breaks 
into  a  run.  "Somebody's  chasing  us,"  she  cries,  and  we 
hurry  away  from  the  imaginary  foe.  "See  my  sword!" 
she  continues,  brandishing  my  parasol.  Then  her  eyes 
grow  dreamy.  "Why,  there's  a  dolly  in  a  red  silk  dress!" 
she  says,  pointing  to  a  bush  covered  with  red  berries. 
"See  her  skirts  wave!     I  think  she  Is  dancing." 

What  is  this  wonderful,  vivifying  child-quality,  that 
makes  a  palace  out  of  a  hovel  and  transforms  the  most 
prosaic  surroundings  into  fairyland?  What  is  the  al- 
chemy that  changes  a  child  in  his  own  feeling  into  the 
person  or  animal  he  pretends  to  be?  This  is  a  power 
quite  distinct  from  any  possessed  by  animals,  for,  as  James 
Sully  says,  "A  cat  or  a  dog  will  be  quite  ready  to  go 
through  a  kind  of  make-believe  game,  yet  even  in  the  play 
the  cat  remains  the  cat,  and  the  dog  the  dog." 

Surely  none  but  a  Gradgrind,  to  whom  fact  only  is 
truth,  can  help  regarding  the  imagination  as  a  blessed 
possession,  and  to  whom  can  we  attribute  anything  so 
marvelous  but  to  a  divine  power?  The  fancy  of  child- 
hood will  one  day  make  possible  the  formation  of  ideals 
that  will  be  the  guiding  stars  of  life. 

[15] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

A  Path  to  God 

There  is  a  certain  punctuation  mark  that  well  typifies 
the  young  child.  What  is  it?  The  interrogation  point, 
to  be  sure.  How  do  you  feel  about  this  tendency  of  chil- 
dren to  question?  Do  you  consider  it  a  '"eal  nuisance? 
Try  to  imagine  a  child  who  never  asks  a  question.  How 
would  he  learn  anything?  You  may  say  you  would  be 
only  too  delighted  to  impart  information,  if  you  could 
choose  your  time  and  manner  of  doing  so,  but  are  you 
quite  sure  you  would  never  forget  to?  I  firmly  believe 
that  the  children's  questions  are  a  necessary  prod  to  even 
the  best-intentioned  educators. 

The  great  forces  of  nature  are  a  constant  wonder  to 
a  child.  The  sun  that  kissed  his  face  only  this  morning  is 
fast  disappearing.  "Who  is  pulling  it  down  behind  the 
hills?"  he  asks.  The  rain  wets  his  face.  ''Where  does 
it  come  from?"  he  wants  to  know.  The  rainbow  arches 
the  sky.  "Who  painted  it?"  he  wonders.  He  searches 
for  the  cause  of  the  invisible  wind. 

"I  felt  you  push,  I  heard  you  call, 
I  could  not  see  yourself  at  all! 
O  wind,  a-blovving  all  day  long, 
O  wind,  that  sings  so  loud  a  song!" 

He  gazes  in  astonishment  at  the  spangled  heavens  and 
cries, 

"Twinkle,  twinkle,  little  star. 
How  I  wonder  what  you  are!" 

And  as  his  curiosity  is  plainly  a  very  important  means 
to  knowledge,  so  that  particular  phase  of  curiosity  which 
seeks  for  a  cause  behind  nature's  marvels  is  as  plainly  a 
path  to  God. 

[i6] 


THE    SIGNIFICANCE   OF   CHILDHOOD 

Appealing  Characteristics 

Does  a  little  child  challenge  your  statements,  or  is  he 
inclined  to  believe  them?  Isn't  credulity  a  characteristic 
of  this  age?  Would  it  be  easier  or  harder  to  teach  a 
child,  were  this  not  so?  Try  to  picture  a  skeptical  little 
child.  This  is  scarcely  thinkable,  so  accustomed  are  we  to 
the  faith  of  early  childhood.  Possibly  it  is  this  especial 
trait  of  trust,  which  leads  to  teachableness,  that  Christ 
alluded  to  when  he  said,  "Except  ye  turn,  and  become  as 
little  children,  ye  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  heaven." 

And  this  is  closely  related  to  another  distinctive  quality 
of  early  childhood.  Is  it  difficult  to  turn  a  little  child's 
attention  from  one  thing  to  another?  Give  an  instance 
of  this  which  you  have  witnessed.  His  suggestibility,  as 
well  as  his  credulity,  helps  to  make  him  teachable,  and  as 
some  one  has  said,  "Teachableness  is  the  condition  of  all 
growth  in  the  kingdom  of  science  and  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven." 

The  Heart  of  a  Child 

The  last  characteristic  of  childhood  that  will  be  outlined 
is  one  denied  by  people  who  call  children  "cruel  little 
brutes,  without  real  affection."  Do  you  believe  that  a  child 
has  natural  sympathy  and  love?  How  have  you  seen  him 
act  when  a  grown  person  is  suffering?  Does  he  ever 
torture  an  animal  and  seem  amused  at  its  contortions? 
Yet  doesn't  he  like  to  be  near  his  friends?  Isn't  he  affec- 
tionate toward  his  mother?  Doesn't  he  mourn  when  she 
leaves  him?  His  moist  kisses,  his  tight  hugs,  his  wish 
to  be  cuddled — are  not  these  evidences  of  affection? 

It  is  true  that  one  person  quickly  displaces  another  in 

[17] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

a  child's  heart,  that  he  may  apparently  forget  an  absent 
parent,  that  he  loves  those  who  make  him  comfortable, 
and  fails  in  sympathy  simply  because  he  has  no  knowledge 
of  the  suffering  he  witnesses.  But  it  is  also  true  that  this 
evanescent,  selfish  feeling  in  the  little  child  is  the  germ  of 
"the  greatest  thing  in  the  world" — love,  the  love  that, 
beginning  as  a  sporadic  affection  for  whoever  ministers 
to  his  physical  needs,  will  little  by  little  think  less  of 
benefits  received  and  more  of  those  it  can  bestow.  As 
Drummond  says,  "The  Struggle  for  the  Life  of  Others  is 
the  psychological  name  for  the  greatest  word  of  ethics — 
Other-ism,  Altruism,  Love." 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Report  pages  41-46,  from  "The  Unfolding  Life,"  by  An- 
toinette A.  Lamoreaux. 

2.  Make  a  list  of  all  the  early  plays  of  children  you  can 
recall,  and  then  analyze  them  to  find  how  many  are  purely 
imitative. 

3.  Analyze  again  the  list  of  children's  plays  you  have  made 
to  find  how  many  are  imaginative.  Discuss  chapters  on  "The 
Realm  of  Fancy"  and  "The  Enchantment  of  Play,"  from 
"Children's  Ways,"  by  James  Sully. 

4.  Read  pages  33,  34,  38  and  39,  from  "The  Child  and  His 
Religion,"  by  George  E.  Dawson,  or  pages  44-53>  from  "Chil- 
dren's Ways,"  and  compare  children's  questions  you  have  heard. 

5.  State  your  feeling  as  to  whether  love  and  sympathy  are 
instinctive  in  young  children. 

6.  Name  any  characteristics  not  mentioned  in  these  lessons 
which  you   consider  of  great  significance  in  childhood. 


[18] 


LESSON  IV 

Children  as  Individuals 

No  amount  of  ''child  study''  will  save  teacher  or  mother 
the  trouble  of  studying  her  own  children. — Edward  Por- 
ter St.  John 

"The  Child"  and  the  Individual 

In  our  second  lesson  we  compared  children  with 
young  codfishes,  and  gave  as  one  of  the  advantages  of  the 
child's  helpless  infancy  his  capacity  for  individual  develop- 
ment. We  then  proceeded  to  consider  characteristics 
common  to  childhood — the  ''alikeness"  of  children — and 
discovered  these  general  traits  by  picking  out  the  same 
quality  as  it  appears  in  this,  that  and  the  other  child  of 
our  acquaintance.  Suppose  we  now  look  at  the  matter 
from  the  opposite  point  of  view,  and,  regarding  these 
general  characteristics  as  a  standard,  find  out  how  far 
individuals  depart  from  it.  In  other  words,  having  with 
painstaking  care  painted  a  picture  of  that  hypothetical 
being,  "the  child,"  we  will  compare  with  it  child  photo- 
graphs from  real  life. 

Exaggerated  Common  Traits 

The  most  ordinary  way  in  which  a  child  shows  indi- 
viduality   is    in    possessing    some    common    trait    in    an 

[19] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

exaggerated  or  a  limited  degree.  Let  us  see  how  true 
this  is/ 

Is  the  shy  child  an  anomaly?  No;  he  simply  has  an 
unusually  large  amount  of  the  fear  common  to  helpless, 
ignorant  childhood.  No  more  is  the  so-called  ''bold 
child,"  over-confident  and  reckless,  a  monster,  but  he 
merely  has  less  than  the  customary  amount  of  fear.  The 
deficient  child  is  abnormally  ignorant,  and  the  precocious 
child  develops  prematurely.  There  are  the  same  two 
extremes  physically — the  child  who  begins  life  more  help- 
less than  most  infants,  and  the  one  who  starts  out  with  a 
great  degree  of  strength. 

The  passionate  child  is  overcharged,  as  it  were,  with 
the  impulse  of  anger,  and  the  spiritless  child  has  scarcely 
enough  to  enable  him  to  hold  his  own.  There  is  the 
extremely  imaginative  child,  who  dreams  dreams,  and  the 
matter-of-fact  child  whose  vision  is  more  nearly  limited  to 
things  actually  seen,  although  no  child,  fortunately, 
reaches  the  dead  level  of  realism  possible  to  adulthood. 

The  affectionate  child  has  a  strong  love  impulse,  and 
occasionally  we  come  across  a  child  who  seems  entirely 
unloving.  We  say  of  one  child,  "She  is  a  perfect  little 
mimic,"  when  the  power  of  mimicry  is  highly  developed. 
"Do  watch  me  and  try  to  do  it  just  as  I  do,"  we  beg  of 
the  child  who  is  somewhat  lacking  in  that  regard. 

The  nervous  child  is  an  illustration  of  abnormal  and 
the  phlegmatic  child  of  subnormal  activity.  The  "little 
pig"  has  so  keen  a  sense  of  self  that  there  is  absolutely 
little  else,  while  the  "generous  dear"  shows  evidence  of 

*The  best  method  to  pursue  with  a  class  is  to  ask  the  mem- 
bers to  mention  some  particular  type  of  child  and  trace  his 
chief  characteristic  to  one  common  to  childhood,  as  is  done  in 
the  following  paragraphs. 

[20] 


CHILDREN   AS   INDIVIDUALS 

outgrowing  egoism  somewhat  earlier  than  most  children. 
The  destructive  child  may  be  the  scientist  in  embryo, 
whose  curiosity  takes  the  practical  form  of  trying  to  find 
out  how  things  are  made.  On  the  other  hand,  the  child 
who  takes  everything  for  granted  and  asks  few  questions 
has  not  enough  of  the  inquiring  tendency  which  leads  to 
knowledge. 

Thus  it  is  intensely  interesting  to  discover  what  general 
characteristics  are  prominent  and  what  are  inconspicuous 
in  the  children  we  know;  to  see  how  his  salient  character- 
istic gives  a  child  a  certain  individuality;  to  realize  how 
far  removed,  after  all,  is  each  individual  child  from  that 
composite,  "the  child,"  which  he  has  helped  to  form. 

Child  Types 

There  are,  besides,  the  more  strikingly  distinctive  chil' 
dren,  who  fascinate  or  perhaps  baffle  us,  well-versed  in 
childhood-as-it-usually-is,  by  showing  us  childhood-as-it- 
occasionally-is. 

I  have  a  little  girl  friend  who  has  always  been  a  verit- 
able coquette,  affectionate  one  moment  and  unapproach- 
able the  next,  sometimes  courting  my  favor  and  again 
quite  without  cause  frowning  upon  me,  and  combining  the 
coyness  of  a  maiden  with  the  uncompromising  frankness 
of  a  child.  Who  would  exchange  "the  child"  for  this 
alluring  personality? 

There  is  the  merry  child,  good-natured  and  sunny,  who 
laughs  his  way  into  our  hearts,  and  makes  us  forget  the 
tragedies  of  this  old  world  and  decide  that  it's  a  pretty 
jolly  place  after  all.  Poor,  correct  "the  child,"  where 
are  you  in  contrast? 

Then,  alas,  there  is  the  child  who  "won't."     Won't 

[21] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

what?  Never  mind  what — just  won't  anything.  Do 
you  pine  then  for  ''the  child,"  and  feel  you  have  your  fill 
of  individuality?  Ah,  but  can  the  satisfaction  of  dealing 
with  a  conventional  child  equal  the  joy  of  being  able  to 
change  the  "won't"  to  "will"?  And  behind  the  obstinacy 
lies  often  a  wonderful  capacity  for  loyalty  and  tenacious 
adherence  to  principle. 

I  once  knew  a  child  who  surprised  me  continually  by 
his  quick  perceptions  and  reasoning  powers.  He  was 
healthy,  fond  of  play  and  perfectly  normal,  except  that 
he  appeared  to  forget  absolutely  nothing  he  had  heard,  and 
instead  of  the  usual  credulity  of  childhood,  reasoned 
things  out  for  himself,  formed  quite  remarkable  opinions, 
and  asked  very  thoughtful  questions. 

I  know  a  little  girl  of  five,  who  rarely  asks  a  question 
when  she  can  puzzle  out  the  answer  for  herself.  She 
has  carefully  mapped  out  the  universe  from  the  data  given 
her,  and  her  own  explanations  of  the  way  things  are 
managed   are  so  evidently  satisfactory  to  her,   that  she 

scorns  to  ask  any  one  else's  views.    "How "  she  will 

begin,  and  then  add  immediately,  "Oh,  I  know!"  and 
give  her  own  solution.  With  unfailing  confidence  every- 
thing is  finally  referred  to  God,  and  all  mysteries  ex- 
plained by  him. 

Another  child  I  know  seems  incapable  of  continuous 
attention.  Her  power  of  concentration  is  so  limited  that 
during  a  three-minute  story  she  either  wriggles  and  twists, 
plays  with  her  hair  ribbon,  swings  her  feet,  or  tries  to 
attract  another  child's  notice.  Her  chief  idea  is  to  get 
the  conversation  into  her  own  hands,  when  she  will  con- 
duct a  monologue  as  long  as  I  will  listen,  darting  from 
one  subject  to  another  in  the  most  irrelevant  manner. 

[22] 


CHILDREN   AS    INDIVIDUALS 

There  is  a  child  of  my  acquaintance  who  has  always 
been  brimming  over  with  mischief.  Her  teasing  propen- 
sity is  enormous,  and  she  frankly  declares,  "I  like  to  be 
naughty."  When  she  joins  a  group  of  children,  there  is 
certain  to  be  dissension,  and  yet  in  spite  of  this  she  is  popu- 
lar, for  she  is  enthusiastic  and  inventive  in  play,  and 
though  there  may  be  friction,  there  is  never  stagnation 
when  she  is  present. 

Certain  children,  even  at  a  very  early  age,  take  the 
initiative  among  their  playmates  and  are  real  leaders. 
With  this  capacity  for  leadership  is  usually  combined  a 
slightly  patronizing  attitude  toward  younger  children, 
which  manifests  itself  in  officious  care  and  imparting  in- 
formation gratuitously.  The  small  ''boss"  will  brook  no 
interference  with  his  authority,  and  his  petty  tyrannies 
are  ludicrously  like  those  of  an  adult  leader. 

Accurate  Character  Reading 

It  is  very  possible  to  be  deceived  in  the  type  of  child 
from  appearances,  unless  one  is  a  keen  reader  of  child 
nature.  A  child  may  meet  your  most  enthusiastic  over- 
tures without  a  particle  of  demonstration,  and  display  no 
emotion  at  your  pathetic  tale.  He  may  remain  stolid 
through  the  songs,  and  appear  to  endure  rather  than  enjoy 
representing  a  tree  or  a  flower.  Yet  you  may  hear  from 
his  parents  that  he  repeats  nearly  every  word  you  have 
said,  and  find  that  his  inanimate  face  is  but  a  mask. 

The  child  who  laughs  gleefully  when  you  tell  a  pathetic 
story  is  not  necessarily  imbecile — he  is  simply  amused  over 
r.n  unusual  expression  or  gesture,  and  is  thinking  of  that 
rather  than  of  the  tale.  The  child  who  bursts  into  tears 
easily  may  not  be  extremely  emotional,  but  nervous  from 

[23] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

insufficient  nourishment  or  sleep.  The  child  who  appears 
stupid  may  be  merely  shy.  It  does  not  follow  that  the 
child  who  wants  to  occupy  the  center  of  the  stage  and  to 
answer  every  question  and  join  in  every  occupation  is 
brilliant.  We  must  know  them  very  well  indeed — these 
puzzling  children — before  we  clap  on  our  labels. 

After  all,  as  we  become  really  acquainted  with  the  chil- 
dren, we  do  not  regard  them  as  types  but  as  individuals 
— just  Jack  and  Richard,  Mary  and  Frances,  with  their 
own  special  combinations  of  characteristics  which,  to- 
gether with  an  intangible  something  impossible  to  de- 
scribe, make  personality. 

The  study  of  childhood's  general  characteristics  has 
make  us  more  alert  to  discover  peculiar  traits,  and  the 
construction  of  "the  child"  has  helped  us  to  see  the  charm 
and  fascination  of  individuality  and  recognize  the  re- 
sponsibility of  understanding  it. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Name  three  distinguishing  traits  of  individual  children 
that  are  really  only  exaggerated  general  characteristics. 

2.  Name  three  distinguishing  traits  of  individual  children 
that  are  evidence  of  a  smaller  degree  than  customary  of  cer- 
tain general  characteristics. 

3.  Describe  the  particular  type  of  child  written  about  in 
"The  Children  of  the  Future,"  by  Nora  Archibald  Smith,  in 
the  chapter  entitled  "A  Dumb  Devil,"  or  in  'An  Unwalled 
City,"  or  "Perilous  Times." 

4.  What  sort  of  behavior  in  a  child  may  be  contrary  to  his 
real  character? 

5.  Describe    a   child   you   consider    "difficult." 

6.  Write  a  short  sketch  of  the  child  that  particularly  ap- 
peals to  you. 


[24] 


LESSON  V 

A  Little  Child's  Religion 

Everything  in  a  child's  surroundings  should  be  inter- 
preted  religiously. — George  Ellsworth  Dawson 

Where  It  Is  Found 

Exactly  what  is  your  conception  of  religion?  Let  each 
member  of  the  class  give  an  offhand  definition/  The 
ordinary  use  of  the  term  would  seem  to  exclude  it  from 
children's  lives.  At  first  thought  a  religious  child  is  a 
monstrosity,  and  to  connect  religion  with  a  child  is  like 
dressing  him  in  miniature  adult  garments.  Indeed,  the 
religion  that  is  taught  children  is  too  frequently  of  this 
kind — made  up  of  adult  thoughts,  even  though  couched 
in  child  language.  How  many  infant  catechisms  have 
been  composed  merely  by  simplifying  words,  and  how  we 
have  attempted  to  reduce  profound  creeds  to  their  lowest 
terms  by  modifying  their  phraseology! 

Let  us  listen  to  that  fearless  disregarder  of  precedents, 
Friedrich  Froebel,  who  calmly  announces:  "Education 
and  Instruction  shall  from  the  very  first  be  passive,  ob- 
servant, protective,  rather  than  prescribing,  determining, 
interfering.  .  .  .  Education  is,  simply,  helping  the  Divine 
within  us  to  come  forth,  to  act."  Can  you  not  see  the 
horrified  amazement  of  those  educators  of  his  day  who 

*  These  replies  will  influence  the  discussion  which  will  nat- 
urally grow  out  of  them. 

[25] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

were  accustomed  to  use  arbitrary  methods  of  forcing 
knowledge  into  their  pupils?  Hear  again  the  deliberate 
statement  of  a  mature  thinker:  "There  is  nothing  so  nat- 
ural to  the  unsophisticated  human  being  as  God."  Listen 
once  more  to  these  words  of  a  modern  educator:  "Those 
who  accept  this  philosophy"  [recognizing  the  value  of  the 
natural  interests  of  children]  "have  always  sought  in  the 
child  the  germs  of   religion." 

Do  you  then  think  there  is  such  a  thing  as  natural  reli- 
gion ?  Are  we  actually  to  observe  and  protect  the  germs  of 
religion  in  a  child,  and  not  force  upon  him  a  totally 
foreign  theology?  Men  who  have  studied  primitive 
races  find  them  naturally  religious.  Plutarch  says:  "I 
have  seen  people  without  cities  and  organized  government 
or  laws,  but  people  without  shrines  and  deities  I  have  not 
seen."  So  the  little  child,  of  whom  primitive  man  is  the 
prototype,  early  shows  instincts  that,  I  believe,  are  a  grop- 
ing after  God.  Isn't  it  an  instinctive  sense  of  the  spiritu- 
ality of  the  universe  that  makes  him  personify  trees, 
stones,  the  rain,  his  playthings,  even  the  furniture?  By 
insistent  questions  he  seeks  the  cause  behind  the  wonders 
of  nature.  The  idea  that  there  is  an  invisible  as  well  as 
a  visible  world  seems  natural  to  him. 

Do  you  think  that  the  observant  and  passive  attitude 
Froebel  advocates,  protecting  the  child's  instincts  and 
answering  his  natural  questions,  would  give  him  the 
religion  he  requires?  Some  one  has  said,  "I  believe  a 
child  has  a  native  need  for  a  theology,  and  that  if  he  is 
not  given  one  he  w^ill  create  it."  Surely  these  unmistak- 
able signs  of  interest  indicate  a  vital  longing  that  should 
be  satisfied,  and,  as  surely,  we  must  find  the  clue  to  the 
little  child's  religion  in  himself. 

[26] 


A  LITTLE   CHILD'S   RELIGION 

How  It  Gives  Satisfaction 

Suppose,  then,  we  regard  the  little  child  in  the  light  of 
his  characteristics,  as  we  have  discovered  them,  and  see 
how  they  show  both  his  need  and  his  capacity.  Consider, 
in  the  first  place,  his  helplessness.  We  have  agreed  that 
it  promotes  family  affection.  Does  it  indicate  any  need 
besides  that  of  parental  care,  which  religion  can  supply? 

George  Hodges'  definition  of  religion  is  this: — "Reli- 
gion is  human  life  plus  God."  Will  it  induce  a  feeling 
of  confidence  in  this  dependent  little  child  to  know  of 
One  who  cares  for  his  parents  as  well  as  himself?  Will 
it  not  fill  him  with  a  sense  of  security,  similar  to  that  pro- 
duced by  the  warm  grasp  of  his  father's  hand  and  the  as- 
surance, "Mother  will  take  care  of  you?"  Finding  that 
the  answer  to  his  queries  as  to  the  cause  of  things  is  God, 
he  finally  regards  him  as  the  author  of  all  his  blessings. 
His  warm  coat,  his  new  suit,  his  good  breakfast,  his  drink 
of  water,  the  fire  that  warms  him,  the  house  he  lives  in, 
the  pretty  things  that  give  him  pleasure,  even  his  own 
father  and  mother,  without  whom  life  would  be  incon- 
ceivable, all  are  gifts  of  the  heavenly  Father. 

This  is  what  Louise  Seymour  Houghton  happily  calls 
"God-consciousness."  This  is  what  Dr.  Dawson  means 
when  he  says,  "Everything  in  a  child's  surroundings 
should  be  interpreted  religiously."  This  is  the  natural 
path  from  the  seen  to  the  unseen,  from  the  little  child's 
life  to  the  meaning  of  life. 

That  this  brings  infinite  satisfaction,  no  one  doubts 
who  has  seen  the  response  in  a  child's  face,  as  this  "God- 
consciousness"  takes  possession  of  him.  It  was  this  that 
inspired  my  small  Scotch  laddie  to  say,  in  his  deliberate 
fashion,  as  he  looked  about  the  Beginners'  room  one  Sun- 

[27] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

day,  "Everything  in  this  room — my  new  coat,  your  hat, 
the  flowers  on  your  table,  the  chairs,  I  guess  the  pictures, 
and  the  sunshine  coming  in  the  window — they  all  belong 
to  God."     And  a  sigh  of  perfect  content  followed. 

That  this  attitude  induces  love  any  one  will  affirm 
who  has  noticed  the  tone  of  a  child's  voice,  as  he  says 
"Heavenly  Father,"  or  seen  a  small  face  light  up,  as  did 
the  four-year-old  girl's,  as  she  told  her  teacher,  "I  think 
to  myself  and  I  say  to  my  mother,  *I  wish  I  could  see 
God.' " 

How  It  Lessens  Fear 

Ignorant  as  well  as  helpless,  and  therefore  fearful,  the 
little  child  revels  in  the  knowledge  that  this  world  is 
not  chaos,  but  that  there  is  a  Power  behind,  ordering  and 
planning.  The  fact  that  one's  mother  is  in  the  house  gives 
the  empty  room  a  sense  of  being  inhabited.  The  knowledge 
that  God's  sun  is  certain  to  rise  in  the  morning  and  that 
his  stars  keep  watch  robs  the  night  of  its  terrors.  "I 
woke  up  once  in  the  night,  and  I  was  afraid,"  a  child  said. 
"I  was  going  to  call  my  mother,  but  then  I  thought, 
Tooh !  heavenly  Father's  taking  care.'     And  I  didn't." 

Gradually  increased  knowledge  will  put  ignorant  fear 
to  rout,  but  for  a  little  child  there  can  be  no  better  first 
step  toward  quieting  his  terror  than  to  help  him  feel  what 
he  is  blindly  groping  toward — that  there  is  a  cause,  a 
reason.  One  all-wise  and  all-powerful,  who  orders  the 
universe,  and  plans  for  the  daily  needs  of  little  children. 

Gladly  would  we  keep  from  the  little  child  all  knowl- 
edge of  death,  but  it  enters  our  homes,  and  forces  its 
acquaintance  upon  them.  Even  this  fear,  which  is  more 
universal  with  little  children  than  many  people  realize, 

[28] 


1 

<% 

^r  ^ 

^if 

k^gMMj 

ffl^^^H 

"  1    WOKE    UP    ONCE    IN    THE    NIGHT,  AND    I    WAS    AFRAID 


A   LITTLE   CHILD'S    RELIGION 

may  be  turned  into  glad  anticipation  by  simply  confirming 
the  child's  instinctive  belief  that  life  cannot  cease,  and 
picturing  a  wondrous  "other  home,"  prepared  by  the  same 
loving  heavenly  Father.  The  interpretation  of  death, 
then,  is  the  door  of  heaven,  and  I  have  heard  more  than 
one  child  speak  in  the  most  natural,  joyous  w^ay  of  the 
time  *Vhen  I  go  up  to  heaven." 

How  the  Child  Reaches  After  It 

The  child's  w^ondering  curiosity  is  continually,  as  we 
have  said,  pleading  for  satisfactory  answers.  Can  we  do 
less  than  pay  attention  to  these  queries,  and  let  our  chil- 
dren see  God  behind  the  flower,  the  tree,  the  wind  that 
blows  and  the  sun  that  shines?  God  the  Creator  as  well 
as  God  the  Protector  appeals  to  the  little  child,  and  is 
the  answer  to  the  class  of  questions  which  seek  the  cause 
of  all  that  is.  "God  made  it";  "It  is  the  heavenly  Fa- 
ther's plan"  are  satisfactory  replies,  and  I  have  never 
known  a  child  to  be  distressed  when  I  admitted,  "I  do 
not  know%  but  God  knows." 

It  is  also  natural  for  children  to  try  to  trace  all  things 
back  to  their  beginning.  "Who  made  the  very  first 
bird?"  they  ask.  "How  did  the  first  teacher  who  ever 
taught  learn  anything?"  "What  set  on  the  first  hen's 
egg?"  Isn't  it  significant,  this  groping  for  a  beginning? 
Shall  we  deny  the  child  the  answer  he  is  seeking?  For, 
as  Dr.  Dawson  writes,  "Parents  and  teachers  help  him 
to  name  his  God,  not  to  discover  him."  A  little  girl  once 
asked,  "When  did  heavenly  Father  live?"  *'Why,  of 
course,"  I  answered,  "it  must  have  been  before  the  flow- 
ers, because  he  made  them,  and  before  — "  "The  leaves," 
she  continued,  "or  the  trees  or  the  rain."    "Or  before  the 

[29] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

earth  even,"  I  said.  Then  she  looked  up  at  me  with  serious 
eyes.     "Was  God  the  beginning?"  she  said. 

I  often  think  of  the  incident  related  to  me  by  a  woman 
whose  life  had  held  much  that  was  hard.  "When  I  was 
a  little  girl,"  she  said,  "I  criticized  some  of  the  old- 
fashioned  columbines,  and  said  I  thought  God  might  have 
made  them  hold  up  their  heads.  My  busy  mother  left 
her  baking  to  take  me  in  her  lap  and  say,  impressively, 
'Everything  God  makes  is  made  in  the  very  best  way. 
You  will  find  this  true  always.'  Next  day  I  came  in 
with  a  May  basket,  the  columbines  arranged  around  the 
edge.  'See!  they  just  fit,'  I  said.  Tm  glad  God  made 
their  heads  hang  down.'  That  thoughtful  explanation  of 
my  mother  made  an  impression  from  which  I  have  never 
recovered." 

What  can  be  more  w^orth  our  time  than  to  answer  our 
children's  wondering  questions,  and  so  lead  them  in  this 
natural  path  to  God ! 

Of  What  It  Consists 

What  conception  will  the  little  child  form  of  the  in- 
visible God  ?  Isn't  it  summed  up  in  the  title  most  appeal- 
ing to  childhood — the  heavenly  Father  ?  The  great  prin- 
ciple of  learning  the  unknown  through  the  known  lies  at 
the  base  of  this  idea  of  God.  Care,  strength,  love,  wis- 
dom— all  these  are  personified  to  the  little  child  in  his 
parents,  and  so  God  will  be  to  him  a  great  Father,  a 
loving  Parent. 

Curious  are  the  fancies  of  children  in  regard  to  God, 
but  those  will  be  outgrown,  and  need  not  be  a  cause  of 
distress.  Children  cannot  understand  spirit  nor  deal  in 
abstractions,  and  if  we  remember  that  a  child  can  know 

[30] 


A   LirrLE   CHILD^S    RELIGION 

something  of  his  father,  in  relation  to  himself,  although 
he  cannot  appreciate  all  the  qualities  that  make  up  his 
personality,  we  will  see  that  in  the  same  way  a  little  child 
can  know  something  of  God,  in  his  relation  to  himself, 
although  he  must  grow  gradually  into  a  fuller  knowl- 
edge of  his  attributes  and  nature. 

There  can  hardly  be  love  without  communication, 
and  a  mere  child  may,  wonderful  as  it  seems,  speak  to 
God.  This  is  what  prayer  should  mean — a  simple  speak- 
ing to  God,  as  to  an  earthly  father.  Any  one  who  has 
observed  the  prayers  of  children  will  marvel  at  their  im- 
plicit faith  in  his  power  and  goodness  and  interest  in  their 
aifairs,  which  leads  often  to  naive  accounts  of  little  hap- 
penings. 

Such  prayers,  with  unforced  expressions  of  thanks,  or, 
more  truly,  of  gladness  for  benefits  received  and  simple 
songs  of  praise  constitute  the  little  child's  worship — wor- 
ship in  its  very  simplest  form,  but  containing  the  necessary 
elements  of  love  and  reverence. 

And  this  "God-consciousness,"  after  which  he  has  in- 
stinctively been  groping,  with  its  natural  response  of  love 
and  trust,  constitutes  the  little  child's  theology. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Review  "The  Child  and  His  Religion,"  by  George  E. 
Dawson,  chapter  on  "The   Natural  Religion  of  Children." 

2.  Give  any  instances  you  have  known  or  read  of  a  child 
showing  evidences  of  relief  or  satisfaction  or  the  lessening  of 
fear  at  the  idea  of  the  loving,  heavenly  Father  caring  for  him. 

3.  Give  George  Hodges'  views  in  "The  Training  of  Chil- 
dren in  Religion,"  pages  18-24,  32-36. 

4.  Mention  children's  questions  that  you  consider  worthy 
serious  answers. 

5.  Write  out  the  ideas  about  God  of  children  you  know. 
Compare  them  with  "Children's  Ways,"  by  James  Sully,  pages 

[31] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

78-84,  or  "The  Training  of  Children  in  Religion,"  by  George 
Hodges,  pages  40-43. 

6  Compare  your  own  knowledge  of  children's  prayers  with 
the*  chapter  on  "The  Child's  Religion,"  in  "As  the  Twig  Is 
Bent,"  by  Susan  Chenery. 


[32] 


LESSON  VI 

A  Little  Child^s  Religion  {continued) 

What  we  make  our  children  love  and  desire  is  more 
important  than  what  we  make  them  learn. — John  Quincy 
Adams 

Religion  and  Life 

In  the  last  lesson  I  asked  you  to  define  religion.  To- 
day I  want  you  to  tell  me,  as  briefly  as  possible,  what  is 
your  aim  in  giving  little  children  religious  instruction,  and 
just  what  you  hope  to  accomplish/ 

As  we  have  already  said,  certain  qualities  in  the  little 
child  indicate  not  alone  specific  needs,  but  an  instinctive 
groping  after  One  who  shall  satisfy  these  needs.  The 
question  now  is,  when  we  have  helped  the  child  to  find 
God,  have  we  done  all  that  is  sufliicient?  If  we  succeed 
in  leading  him  to  the  Father,  is  that  enough?  Have  we 
"interpreted  his  surroundings  religiously,"  when  we  have 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  vision  that  lies  behind  everything, 
and  seen  to  it  that  he  has  entered  into  his  heritage  and 
knows  himself  to  be  a  child  of  God  ? 

Are    the    communication    with    God    which    we    call 

^If  each  member  of  the  class  tries  to  express  this  aim,  it 
will  help  not  only  to  clarify  her  own  thought,  but  will  assist 
the  entire  class  to  get  a  vision  of  the  ideal  aim.  These  state- 
ments will  no  doubt  arouse  a  discussion  quite  unlike  that  sug- 
gested here. 

[33] 


LESSONS   FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

prayer,  and  the  love  we  term  devotion,  and  the  thanks- 
giving we  name  worship — are  even  these  enough?  Give 
me  freely  your  ideas  on  the  subject.  I  believe  a  little 
child  needs  besides  the  consciousness  that  he  is  a  child  of 
God  the  desire  to  act  as  befits  God's  child.  He  should 
love  God  and  also  love  the  good.  His  worship  should 
consist  of  service,  as  well  as  of  prayer  and  praise.  To 
''interpret  his  surroundings  religiously"  means  more  than 
to  see  God  behind  the  material  things  about  him.  It 
means  also  to  be  Godlike  in  each  daily  act.  "Whether 
therefore  ye  eat,  or  drink,  or  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to 
the  glory  of  God"  is  an  important  part  of  a  little  child's 
religion. 

What  Are  Religious  Activities 

Suppose  we  again  consider  some  of  the  little  child's 
prominent  characteristics,  and  see  how  they  indicate  his 
need  and  capacity  for  this  so-called  "practical  religion." 

In  the  first  place,  what  should  you  say  his  active  nature 
demanded  of  his  religion?  One  can  imagine  a  hermit  or 
a  pain-worn  saint  finding  cheer  and  comfort  in  a  purely 
comtemplative  religion.  How  about  an  active  child? 
Doesn't  this  very  activity  necessitate  service?  Somebody 
has  said,  "Is  it  true  that  there  is  nothing  after  disease, 
indigence,  and  a  sense  of  guilt  so  fatal  to  health  and  to 
life  itself  as  the  want  of  a  proper  outlet  for  active  facul- 
ties?" Let  us  guard  and  guide  the  natural,  God-given 
activity  of  our  children,  for  in  it  is  the  germ  of  the  re- 
ligion of  Christ,  preeminently  the  religion  of  service. 

And  service  is  meant  in  its  very  broadest  sense.  We 
wish  our  children  to  feel  that  life  is  not  divided  sharply 
into  the  secular  and  the  divine,  but  that  it  is  all  one,  and 

[34] 


A   LITTLE    CHILD'S    RELIGION 

every  act  is  religious.  We  shall  thus  be  building  up  a 
generation  of  men  and  women  who  will  consider  not 
only  attending  church  a  religious  duty  but  attending  to 
their  diet,  and  who  will  feel  that  service  should  be  ren- 
dered God,  not  one,  but  seven  days  a  week. 

To  take  up  this  matter  very  practically,  will  you  discuss 
the  following  questions:  Which  have  you  found  more 
effective  in  controlling  children's  activities,  the  command 
"do"  or  "do  not"?  What  legitimate  physical  activity  in 
the  Beginners'  Department  will  prevent  annoying  activ- 
ity? Do  you  think  Froebel's  great  principle  of  learning 
through  doing  important?  Do  little  children  enjoy  help- 
ing their  mothers?  What  may  be  the  effect  of  ignoring 
or  refusing  their  offers  of  assistance?  Can  love  for  God 
be  made  an  incentive  for  right  daily  acts? 

Guiding  Natural  Instincts 

A  child's  mind  is  as  active  as  his  body.  In  the  last 
lesson  we  spoke  of  the  danger  in  leaving  serious  questions 
unanswered.  Suppose  we  have  fulfilled  our  duty  in  re- 
gard to  our  children's  curiosity,  have  we  any  duty  toward 
the  instincts  of  imitation  and  imagination?  As  through 
his  physical  activity  he  finds  the  road  of  service,  so  through 
his  mental  activity  he  gains  knowledge,  and  also,  by 
means  of  imitation  and  imagination  he  gets — what? 
Through  imitation  I  think  he  acquires  a  sense  of  other 
people's  natures  and  activities,  and  through  imagination 
he  is  able  to  put  himself  in  their  places.  By  fancying 
himself  in  some  as  yet  unexperienced  circumstances,  he 
also  forms  ideals  of  conduct. 

Recognizing  this  inherent  quality  of  imitation,  shall 
we  fight  it,  or  leave  k  alone,  or  guide  it?     Drummond 

[35] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

asks,  "Is  corn  to  grow  by  method  and  character  by  ca- 
price?" How  would  one's  attempt  to  guide  children's 
power  of  imitation  influence  the  sort  of  things  we  let 
them  see?  hear?  the  stories  we  tell  them?  our  own 
actions?  Will  it  enter  at  all  into  our  reason  for  telling 
them  about  Jesus?  Will  their  impressionable  senses 
make  care  necessary? 

Can  we  in  a  similar  way  help  the  imagination  to  do 
its  full  work  upon  our  children's  characters?  How  will 
our  stories  cultivate  it?  Does  imagination  help  to  make 
hardships  bearable?  What  effect  do  imaginary  plays 
have  upon  our  children?  I  have  seen  in  a  tiny 
girl's  face  the  dawn  of  the  maternal  feeling,  as  she 
rocked  her  doll  to  sleep;  I  have  seen  a  little  boy  knight 
possessing  for  the  time  being  real  knightly  qualities;  and 
n  child  cannot  enter  fully  into  the  impersonation  of  a 
bird  without  gaining  something  in  tenderness  toward  bird 
life. 

Arousing  Desire  Througli  Love 

Thus  the  proper  outlet  of  his  activities,  both  physical 
and  mental,  gradually  lead  a  child  away  from  absorption 
in  himself  to  interest  in  and  service  for  others.  Wc 
appreciate  that  it  was  an  absolute  necessity  for  him  to 
begin  life  with  his  own  physical  needs  foremost,  but 
surely  our  ultimate  ideal  for  him  is  the  Christ  ideal  of 
self -sacrifice. 

This  very  interest  In  others  may  lead  to  manifestations 
of  the  unrestrained  anger  we  have  discussed.  But  If  a 
little  boy  shows  hot  resentment  at  injustice  to  his  brother, 
shall  we  decry  the   feeling?     And   does  not  the  newly 

[36] 


A  LITTLE   CHILD'S    RELIGION 

aroused  interest  in  others  coupled  with  the  desire  to 
please  them  lead  to  obedience  and  self-control? 

In  short,  we  must  consider  carefully  the  child's  natural 
characteristics  to  help  him  be  most  completely  a  child 
of  God.  And  the  guiding  star  to  our  goal  is  the  little 
child's  love.  For  "What  we  make  our  children  love 
and  desire  is  more  important  than  what  we  make  them 
learn." 

Just  as  we  present  God  as  a  loving  Father,  who  cares 
for  little  children,  and  thus  induce  their  love  and  wish 
to  please  him,  so  would  we  present  goodness  as  something 
altogether  desirable,  for,  though  we  may  otherwise  arbi- 
trarily exact  certain  acts,  we  have  not  prepared  them  to 
face  life.  Not  that  we  do  not  expect  they  must  often 
perform  hard  duties,  but  I  believe  there  must  be  the  in- 
centive of  loving  desire  to  insure  a  permanent  growth 
toward  goodness. 

As  their  little  acts  of  helpfulness  lead  them  into  the 
lives  of  others,  sympathy  will  be  aroused,  and  they  will 
begin  their  first  tiny  self-sacrifices  impelled  by  the  great 
dynamo,  love — love  of  God,  and  the  wish  to  cooperate 
with  him  in  caring  for  flowers  and  birds ;  love  of  parents, 
and  the  desire  to  please  them  by  carrying  out  their  wishes ; 
love  of  neighbors,  and  thus  the  birth  of  the  missionary 
spirit,  which  in  its  essence  is  helping  those  in  need. 

Nor,  in  taking  account  of  a  child's  natural  character- 
istics in  helping  him  to  live  his  life  religiously,  must  we 
fail  to  consider  his  individuality.  Thus  one  child  needs 
much  help  toward  self-control,  another  toward  unselfish- 
ness, a  third  toward  good-temper.  We  need  to  make 
obedience  seem  very  desirable  to  one  child  and  generosity 
to  another. 

[37] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

The  Result 

In  Maeterlinck's  remarkable  play,  "The  Bluebird," 
two  children  go  on  a  quest  for  happiness,  typified  by  the 
bluebird.  After  a  fruitless  search  for  it  in  the  land  of 
memory,  the  region  of  the  dead,  the  realm  of  night,  and 
the  land  of  the  yet  unborn,  they  finally  return  to  their 
humble  cottage,  and  find,  as  they  lend  their  pet  bird  to 
a  neighbor's  sick  child,  that  it  is  the  bluebird,  and  to  their 
amazed  delight  discover  happiness  in  their  own  home. 
They  find  a  new  meaning  in  the  fire  that  warms  them, 
the  water  they  drink,  the  milk,  the  sugar,  the  common 
loaf,  all  of  which  were  personified  on  their  journey. 

If  we  succeed  in  interpreting  our  little  children's  sur- 
roundings religiously,  they  will  find  happiness  in  their  lives 
as  they  are,  and  a  wonderful  meaning  in  their  every-day 
blessings,  and  as  they  use  these  common  things  in  the  serv- 
ice of  others,  they,  too,  will  have  captured  the  bluebird. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Write  a  review  of  ''Love  and  Law  in  Child  Training," 
by  Emilie  Poulsson,  pages  83-89,  or  "A  Study  of  Child  Nature," 
by  Elizabeth  Harrison,  chapter  I. 

2.  Describe  some  efficient  methods  of  directing  the  activities 
of  children  in  Sunday  school. 

^  3.     Report   "A   Study  of   Child   Nature,"   by  Elizabeth   Har- 
rison, chapter  on   "The  Instinct  of  Imitation." 

4.  Explain  how  certain  imaginative  plays  affect  children's 
characters,   and  how  play  is  used  in  the  kindergarten. 

5.  Do  you  agree  with  George  Hodges,  in  "The  Training 
of  Children  in  Religion,"  chapter  I? 

6.  Give  your  ideas  on  systematic  plans  for  every-day  re- 
ligious activities.  See  "The  Child  and  His  Religion,"  by 
George  E.  Dawson,  pages  117  and  118. 


[38] 


LESSON  VII 

A  Little  Child's  Lessons 

I  fed  you  with  milk,  not  with  meat;  for  ye  were  not 
yet  able  to  bear  it. — Paul  the  Apostle 

The  Ideal  Curriculum 

"What"  is  a  far  easier  question  to  answer  than  "how." 
Having  decided  what  a  little  child's  religion  ought  to  be, 
the  problem  is  how  to  be  sure  that  he  has  it.  Shall  we 
depend  only  upon  answering  his  thoughtful  questions? 
Most  of  us  find  that  such  questions  are  asked  more  often 
in  the  home  than  at  Sunday  school.  Can  we  be  sure  of 
his  parents'  helpful  answers?  Even  where  there  is  care- 
ful home  training  in  religion,  is  there  the  same  advantage 
in  little  children  from  many  homes  meeting  together  in 
a  Beginners'  class,  that  there  is  in  their  attending  day 
kindergarten  ? 

If  there  is  a  Beginners'  department,  it  seems  safe  to 
say  that  a  definite  curriculum  is  necessary,  that  the  teach- 
ing may  most  effectively  meet  the  children's  needs,  and 
also  that  such  a  curriculum  must  be  elastic  enough  to  be 
adapted  to  local  conditions. 

In  deciding  upon  a  course  of  lessons  for  little  children, 
we  should  be  certain  first  that  it  is  founded  upon  sound 
principles.  What  do  you  think  of  a  course  frankly  in- 
tended to  be  a  study  of  the  Bible?  the  learning  of  a  cate- 

[39] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

chism  that  sets  forth  certain  theological  doctrines? 
What  should  be  the  basis  of  such  a  course?  It  certainly 
should  be  based  upon  the  child's  needs,  and  aim  to  give 
him  the  religion  he  is  instinctively  groping  after. 

Have  little  children  any  sense  of  time?  Does  this 
form  any  objection  to  a  chronological  course?  Should 
the  lessons  be  concrete  or  abstract?  If  the  course  con- 
sists of  stories,  and  these  stories  are  not  arranged  chron- 
ologically, should  there  be  any  sequence?  Should  the 
stories  be  entirely  from  the  Bible;  may  Bible  passages  be 
simply  the  basis  for  stories,  such  as  nature  stories;  or  do 
5'OU  feel  that  the  child's  needs  occasionally  demand  a  story 
quite  outside  the  Bible?  Do  you,  then,  all  agree  that  the 
ideal  curriculum  for  little  children  is  a  topical  story 
course,  based  upon  a  child's  needs? 

Examination  of  Different  Courses 

I  wonder  how  many  of  the  class  have  examined  other 
courses  of  lessons  than  the  one  they  are  using.  Have  any 
of  you  attempted  to  outline  a  course,  embodying  the  prin- 
ciples you  believe  in?  Both  these  things  are  helpful.  A 
critical  examination  of  various  lesson  courses  leads  one  to 
adopt  the  best,  although  it  may  be  with  modifications,  and 
gives  one  breadth  and  independence  of  judgment.  The  en- 
deavor to  outline  an  original  course  clarifies  one's  own 
ideas,  and  makes  criticism  of  existing  courses  more  dis- 
criminating and  the  critic  better  aware  of  the  difficulties 
in  the  way. 

Among  the  Beginners'  courses  worthy  consideration  are 
the  following:  Kindergarten  Course  of  Study  from  "An 
Outline  of  a  Bible-School  Curriculum,"  by  George  Wil- 
liam  Pease;   "One  Year  of   Sunday-school   Lessons   for 

[40] 


A   LITTLE   CHILD'S   LESSONS 

Young  Children,"  by  Florence  U.  Palmer;  "Bible  Les- 
sons for  Little  Beginners,"  by  Margaret  J.  Cushman 
Haven.  It  is  suggested  that  the  courses  themselves  be 
first  examined,  rather  than  any  development  of  them. 

The  International  Beginners'  Course 

The  Beginners'  Course  of  the  International  Graded 
Lessons  is  considered  here,  as  one  of  the  latest  series  of 
lessons  for  children  of  four  and  five  years.  It  is  a  topical 
story  course,  covering  tw^o  years.  The  second  year  is 
not  advanced  in  grade  over  the  first,  for  with  such  young 
children  it  is  considered  unw^ise  to  use  tw^o  sets  of  lessons, 
as  the  same  thought  needs  to  be  carried  through  the  entire 
hour. 

Let  us  examine  first  the  list  of  themes  taken  up,  to  see 
if  they  give  the  little  child  the  right  sort  of  religion.' 

Themes  for  the  First  Year: 
I.     The  Heavenly  Father's  Care. 
II.     Thanksgiving  for  Care. 

III.  Thanksgiving  for  God's  Best  Gift. 

IV.  Love  Shown  Through  Care. 
V.     The  Loving  Care  of  Jesus. 

VI.     God's  Care  of  Life. 

VII.     Our  Part  in  the  Care  of  Flowers  and  Birds. 
VIII.     Duty  of  Loving  Obedience. 

IX.     Love  Shown  by  Prayer  and  Praise. 
X.     Love  Shown  by  Kindness  (to  Those  in  the  Fam- 
ily Circle). 

^It  is  suggested  that  the  teacher  of  the  class  write  the  themes 
on  the  blackboard,  those  for  the  two  years  in  opposite  columns, 
one  theme  at  a  time,  so  that  the  sequence  can  be  anticipated  or 
another  suggested  by  the  members. 

[41] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

XL     Love  Shown  by  Kindness  (to  Those  Outside  the 
Family). 


Themes  for  the  Second  Year: 
XIL     Our    Heavenly   Father's   Protection. 
XHL     Thanksgiving  for  Protection. 
XIV.     Thanksgiving  for  God's  Best  Gift. 
XV.     Our  Heavenly  Father's  Protection  in  Nature. 
XVI.     God  Helping  to  Protect. 
XVII.     Jesus  the  Helper  and  Saviour. 
XVIII.     Jesus  Teaching  to  Pray. 
XIX.     God's  Gift  of  Life. 
XX.     God's  Gift  of  the  Wind,  Sun  and  Rain. 
XXI.     Jesus  Teaching  How  to  Help. 
XXII.     Children  Helping. 
XXIH.     Friendly  Helpers. 
Instances  of 

1.  Individual  help. 

2.  Interchange   of  help. 

3.  Cooperation  in  helpfulness. 

Fall  and  Winter  Themes 

The  course  begins  in  October,  and  the  first  six  or  seven 
weeks  of  each  year  are  covered  by  the  subject  of  the 
heavenly  Father's  care  and  protection,  approached  through 
parental  care.  Is  this  something  close  to  the  child? 
Froebel  says,  "This  feeling  of  community,  first  uniting 
the  child  with  mother,  father,  brothers  and  sisters,  and 
resting  on  a  higher  spiritual  unity  to  which  later  on  is 
added  the  unmistakable  discovery  that  father,  mother, 
brothers,  sisters,  human  beings  in  general,  feel  and  know 
themselves  to  be  in  community  and  unity  with  a  higher 

[42] 


A   LITTLE    CHILD'S   LESSONS 

principle — with  humanity,  with  God  ...  is  the  very  first 
germ  of  all  true  religious  spirit,  of  all  genuine  yearning 
for  unhindered  unification  with  the  eternal,  with  God." 

What  effect  will  the  consciousness  of  a  protecting  and 
care-taking  Father  have  upon  a  child's  fears?  his  sense  of 
helplessness?  his  wonder?  Under  this  theme  are  stories 
of  parental  care  and  God's  care  in  nature.  Do  you  think 
it  increases  a  child's  sense  of  God's  loving-kindness  to 
know  that  he  provides  for  beast  and  bird  and  blossom  p.s 
well  as  for  him? 

At  this  time  the  Thanksgiving  festival  draws  near. 
Are  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas  of  importance  in  a 
child's  year?  Will  lessons  on  God's  care  prepare  him 
in  any  measure  for  Thanksgiving?  What  will  be  his 
natural  response  to  the  realization  of  God's  wonderful 
care?  What,  then,  will  logically  be  the  next  theme? 
Would  ''Thanksgiving  for  Care  (or  Protection)"  mean 
that  thanks  are  to  be  forced  from  the  child?  Is  this 
possible?  Of  what  does  a  little  child's  gratitude  consist? 
Might  love  and  gladness  be  a  better  term? 

Christmas,  another  great  festival,  comes  soon  after 
Thanksgiving.  Do  you  think  it  is  possible  for  a  little  child 
to  regard  the  baby  Jesus  as  a  gift  of  the  same  Father  who 
has  given  other  blessings?  Does  the  topic,  "Thanksgiv- 
ing for  God's  best  Gift,"  seem  appropriate  for  the  Christ- 
mas season? 

After  this  theme  comes  in  the  first  year,  "Love  Shown 
through  Care,"  and  in  the  second  year  the  two  themes, 
"Our  Heavenly  Father's  Protection"  and  "God  Helping 
to  Protect."  Here  the  impression  of  God's  care  is 
deepened,  and  that  care  in  the  world  of  nature  particu- 
larly emphasized.  The  child  is  given  a  glimpse  of  his  own 

[43] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

responsibility  in  giving  care,  and  helped  to  feel  the  joy  of 
cooperating  with  God.  Do  j^ou  think  that  this  sense  of 
cooperation  may  give  a  child  a  feeling  of  over-importance, 
or  will  it  be  an  incentive  to  helpfulness? 

lessons  about  Jesus 

Is  it  enough  to  tell  the  children  the  Christmas  stories, 
and  let  them  know  only  of  the  baby  Jesus?  If  you  tell 
about  the  man  Jesus,  is  there  danger  that  they  may  con- 
fuse him  with  the  Father?  Do  you  care  if  they  do? 
What  special  phase  of  Jesus'  nature  will  appeal  to  them 
and  fit  in  with  the  general  themes  of  the  lessons?  Can- 
not Jesus  become  their  ideal  of  a  man  who  protects  and 
cares  for  others?  Do  you  think  that  while  his  power 
and  teaching  can  mean  little  or  nothing  to  them,  his  kind- 
ness and  love  for  the  small  and  weak  may  win  their  real 
love?  I  believe  that  even  such  little  children  can  truly 
say,  **I  love  Jesus."  I  believe  it  is  possible  for  them  to 
so  catch  the  Christ  spirit  from  the  stories  they  hear  of 
him,  that  they  are  really  Christians,  as  far  as  it  lies  within 
a  child's  power  to  be. 

After  these  lessons  on  "The  Loving  Care  of  Jesus" 
and  "Jesus  the  Helper  and  Saviour"  comes  the  third  great 
festival — Easter.  What  should  Easter  mean  to  little 
children?  Ought  they  to  hear  of  Christ's  death  and 
resurrection?  What  do  you  think  of  this  as  a  theme  for 
the  Easter  season — "God's  Care  of  Life,"  covering  the 
awakening  of  life  in  nature,  and  the  preservation  of  life 
not  only  on  earth  but  in  heaven?  Would  such  a  theme 
tend  to  counteract  the  fear  of  death  many  children  have, 
or  is  it  better  never  to  refer  to  death  ? 

Spring  is  a  season  when  the  outdoor  world  is  especially 

[44] 


A   LITTLE   CHILD'S   LESSONS 

appealing  to  a  child.  Do  you  wish  your  children  to  sec 
the  Creator  behind  the  springtime  wonders?  What  na- 
ture subjects  are  appropriate  to  this  season?  The  spring 
themes  suggested  in  this  course  are  "God's  Gift  of  the 
Wind,  Sun,  and  Rain,"  and  "Our  Part  in  the  Care  of 
Flowers  and  Birds." 

Praying  and  Doing 

Do  you  believe  children  ought  to  be  taught  anything 
about  prayer,  or  is  it  enough  simply  to  teach  them  to 
pray?  Will  it  help  them  to  become  worshipful  to  hear 
stories  of  people  who  pray?  Besides  stories  that  bring 
in  prayer  incidentally,  the  course  has  the  themes,  "Love 
Shown  by  Prayer  and  Praise"  and  "Jesus  Teaching  to 
Pray." 

This  seems  to  me  the  logical  place  in  the  course  for  tak- 
ing up  as  topics  some  of  the  virtues  possible  to  childhood. 
For  why  should  our  children  know  of  God's  love,  if  not 
to  help  them  to  be  Godlike?  The  consciousness  of  a 
world  for  which  God  cares,  and  in  which  Jesus  served, 
should  inspire  them  to  do  their  part. 

What  good  qualities  should  you  choose  to  group  stories 
about?  Is  obedience  necessary  and  possible  to  childhood? 
kindness?  helpfulness?  You  will  look  in  vain  in  this 
course  for  missionary  themes — that  is,  studies  of  mission- 
ary enterprise  in  other  lands.  But  isn't  the  essence  of 
the  missionary  spirit  the  desire  to  help  those  weaker  and 
more  needy?  And  are  not  the  first  steps  toward  a  child's 
interest  in  people  all  over  the  world  the  interest 
and  love  for  the  members  of  his  family  and 
neighborhood,  shown  in  little  deeds  of  helpfulness? 
You  may  be  asked   by   those  zealous  in  the  temperance 

[45] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

cause  whether  temperance  teaching  can  begin  too  early, 
and  you  can  certainly  answer  that  the  foundation  of  a 
temperate  life  is  self-control  learned  through  obedience. 
Thus  each  year  of  this  course  of  lessons  ends  with  the 
endeavor  to  help  little  children  to  be  good  in  their  own 
childlike  way. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Name  the  necessary  qualifications  for  an  ideal  Beginners* 
course  of  lessons. 

2.  Report  on  some  other  Beginners'  curriculum  than  that 
discussed  here. 

3.  Give  your  opinion  as  to  whether  the  themes  of  the  Inter- 
national Beginners'  Course  give  the  little  child  the  religion  he 
needs. 

4.  Consider  carefully  a  group  of  stories  in  this  course,  and 
be  ready  next  week  to  comment  upon  their  desirability.^ 

5.  Make  a  list  of  the  Bible  verses  for  the  children,  and  tell 
whether  you   consider  them  within  their  comprehension. 

6.  Count  the  stories  retold,  and  state  whether  they  seem 
to  you  too  few  or  too  many. 

*  Prospectuses  of  the  International  Beginners'  Course,  con- 
taining full  lesson  material,  will  be  sent  from  the  publishers  on 
request. 


[46] 


LESSON  VIII 

The  Value  of  the  Story 

The  child's  thirst  for  stories — has  it  no  siffnificancgj 
and  does  it  not  lay  a  responsibility  upon  usf — Walter  L, 
Hervey 

Teaching  Through  the  Story 

Obviously  lessons  for  children  cannot  consist  only  of 
themes,  however  necessary  of  presentation  these  themes 
may  be.  Suppose  you  had  only  an  outline  course  of 
topics,  how^  w^ould  you  set  to  work  to  teach? 
Would  you  talk  about  the  subjects — God's  Care,  Thanks- 
giving, Obedience  and  the  rest?  Would  you  attempt  to 
define  them?  Perhaps  you  would  deliver  sermonettes? 
or  teach  Bible  verses  clarifying  them?  Must  you  have 
some  lesson  material  under  these  topics,  and  if  so,  what 
form  would   this   material  naturally   take? 

For  instance,  choose  among  the  following  statements 
the  one  you  feel  would  best  introduce  the  subject  of 
obedience. 

Every  child  ought  to  obey  his  father  and  mother. 

To  obey  anybody  is  to  do  exactly  as.  he  says. 

My  child,  obey  your  dear  parents. 

"Children,  obey  your  parents." 

I  have  a  story  to  tell  you  of  a  baby  rabbit  that  did  not 
mind  his  mother,  and  what  happened. 

[47] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

Why  is  it  that  the  last  method  is  the  most  effective? 
I  should  like  each  member  of  the  class  to  give  one  reason 
why  the  story  is  a  valuable  educational  agency  for  little 
children/ 

Choosing  the  Story 

If  we  are  to  use  stories  for  the  religious  education  of 
children,  w^hat  kind  shall  we  choose?  Is  there  any 
requisite  source  for  such  stories?  any  necessary  qualifica- 
tions? Certainly  they  are  told  because  of  the  truth  in 
them — for  the  sake  of  the  message  they  convey. 
Must  these  stories,  therefore,  be  true,  in  the  sense  that 
they  are  the  relation  of  facts?  Can  you  see  how  truth 
may  be  conveyed  by  means  of  a  tale  not  literally  true? 
Do  you  see  a  difference  between  fact  and  truth?  How 
do  the  parables  of  Jesus  illustrate  such  a  use  of  stories? 

The  stories  we  select  may  present  the  required  truth 
and  still  be  inappropriate,  unless  they  are  adapted  to  the 
age  of  the  children.  If  we  like  to  talk  learnedly,  we  say 
they  must  be  "on  the  child's  plane,"  which  means  simply 
— what?  That  any  story,  in  order  to  fulfil  its  mission, 
must  be  within  the  child's  understanding.  It  must  deal 
either  with  situations  he  has  experienced  or  which  he  is 
capable  of  imagining.  Its  message  must  not  only  be  a 
message  suitable  for  a  child,  but  told  in  child  language 
in  a  child's  way,  so  that  a  child  will  respond. 

Proof  of  Its  Value 

In  that  word  "respond"  we  find  the  actual  test  of  the 
value  of  the  story.     Exactly  what  do  we  mean  by  the 

*  These    answers    will    determine    the    succeeding    discussion. 

[48] 


THE    VALUE    OF   THE    STORY 

child's  response?  Is  it  his  absorbed  attention?  Do  you 
regard  his  bated  breath,  intense  gaze  and  tense  absorption 
a  certain  proof  that  the  story  you  have  told  has  value? 
Can  you  conceive  of  an  absolutely  valueless  story  holding 
the  attention?     Give  a  possible  instance. 

Is  the  proof  of  a  story's  value  to  be  found  in  the  facility 
with  v^^hich  the  child  retells  it?  May  he,  by  any  chance, 
remember  and  reproduce  a  totally  valueless  tale?  On 
the  other  hand,  does  any  story  perform  its  function  which 
neither  arouses  interest  nor  makes  an  impression  that  is 
retained?  Might  a  story  of  unquestionable  worth  be 
reproduced  in  a  way  to  show  that  it  had  failed  to  bring 
its  message  to  the  child?  For  example,  suppose  you  told 
a  story  to  illustrate  obedience,  and  the  child  retold  it  in 
detail,  but  very  apparently  failed  to  grasp  the  point,  might 
the  story  be  considered  a  failure  ?  Would  not  a  retelling, 
with  the  point  well  brought  out,  be  a  proof  that  the  story 
had  delivered  its  message  to  the  child? 

We  must  remember,  however,  that  many  little  children 
have  neither  the  vocabulary  nor  the  confidence  to  repro- 
duce a  story,  and  so  their  response  cannot  be  judged  in 
this  way.  Do  you  find  the  expressed  response  common? 
No  teacher  need  feel  in  the  least  discouraged  at  the  in- 
frequency  of  quotable  responses  from  little  children, 
whose  power  of  expression  is  undeveloped,  and  whose  feel- 
ing is  more  apt  to  show  itself  in  wondering  eyes  and  facial 
expression  than  in  words.  A  little  child's  response  may 
more  often  be  felt  than  heard.  Have  your  children  made 
any  comments  after  bewaring  a  story  that  have  led  you 
to  believe  it  had  reached  its  mark  ?  A  delightful  response 
to  a  story  is  a  child's  request  for  a  song  embodying  his 
feeling  and  occasionally  the  suggestion  of  a  prayer. 

[49] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

The  Little  Child's  Response 

Some  interesting  responses  to  certain  stories  arc  the 
following: — 

A  little  girl,  telling  about  Jacob's  dream,  said,  in  an 
indescribably  tender  voice,  "The  heavenly  Father  said, 
'Don't  you  be  afraid,  Jacob;  I'm  keeping  care  of  you. 
Don't  you  be  afraid;  I'm  keeping  care.'  " 

After  telling  the  storj',  "Jesus  Loving  Little  Children," 
a  teacher  said,  "We  cannot  put  our  arms  about  Jesus' 
neck  or  feel  his  hand  upon  our  heads,  as  those  long-ago 
children  did,  but  we  can  speak  to  him,  and  we  will  now." 
A  little  girl  suggested  softly,  "We  might  make  believe 
put  our  arms  round  his  neck  while  we  do."  The  prayer 
that  followed  was  a  very  real  one. 

A  young  teacher  had  finished  telling  the  story  of  "Jesus 
and  the  Blind  Man."  How  she  told  it  may  be  guessed 
from  the  comment  of  one  of  the  children, — "I  think  the 
dogs  must  have  been  running  around  the  streets  looking 
for  Jesus,  he  was  so  kind." 

After  the  story,  "Joseph's  Coat  of  Many  Colors,"  as 
the  children  gathered  about  the  picture,  one  little  boy 
put  his  arm  about  his  younger  brother  and  said,  "I'd 
never,  never  be  so  mean  to  my  brother.  I  never,  never 
would."  This  was  a  spontaneous  response  to  a  negative 
lesson. 

The  Analysis  of  Stories 

For  the  remainder  of  the  time  let  us  consider  some 
particular  stories  of  the  International  Beginners'  Course 
that  you  have  been  studying,  as  to  their  value  in  the  reli- 
gious education  of  young  children. 

Suppose     we      begin      with      the      first      group      of 

[50] 


THE    VALUE    OF    THE    STORY 

stories,  under  the  theme,  "The  Heavenly  Father's  Care." 
The  first  story  emphasizes  parental  care,  the  second 
parental  care  in  nature,  the  third  the  great  necessity  of 
divine  care,  in  order  that  parental  care  be  possible  among 
birds  or  animals,  and  the  remaining  stories  bring  out  the 
important  part  that  the  heavenly  Father  plays  in  human 
affairs.  Exactly  what  phase  of  God's  care  does  each  one 
of  these  stories  present?' 

Again,  let  us  take  up  each  story  from  the  standpoint  of 
its  source.  Five  out  of  the  seven  stories  are  from  the 
Bible,  the  casual  observer  would  say,  and  the  other  two 
are  not.  It  should  be  noted,  however,  that  these  so- 
called  nature  stories  are  founded  upon  Bible  verses,  and 
serve  to  make  their  meaning  concrete,  and  also  that  the 
child  is  continually  demanding  such  nature  stories  by  his 
questionings.  Discuss  your  conviction  in  regard  to  the 
importance  of  nature  stories,  and  also  your  feeling  about 
the  value  of  stories  from  the   Bible. 

Let  us  also  take  up  these  stories  from  the  point  of  view 
of  their  appropriateness  to  the  child.  Test  each  story  in 
these  ways: — 

Does  it  teach  a  truth  that  meets  a  child's  religious 
need?     State  the  truth. 

Does  it  teach  this  truth  simply  and  directly? 

Does  it  deal  with  situations  wn'thin  the  child's  experi- 
ence?    If  not,  with  those  he  can  readily  imagine? 

Is  there  action  enough  to  arouse  interest?  Is  this  ac- 
tion involved  in  too  much  detail? 

For  example,  take  the  story  of  the  baby  Moses.     What 

^In  the  "Beginners'  Teachers'  Text-Book"  each  theme  and 
its  illustrating  stories  are  carefully  discussed.  It  is  far  better, 
however,  for  the  class  to  form  their  own  opinion  before  reading 
those  discussions,   and  then   frankly  compare  the  two. 

[51] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

truth  does  it  teach?  Is  this  truth  necessary  for  a  child's 
highest  development?  Does  it  teach  this  so  obviously 
that  the  child  cannot  escape  it?  Might  similar  experi- 
ences occur  in  the  child's  life?  Does  this  prohibit  the 
story  from  the  child's  imagination?  Does  it  particularly 
matter  whether  the  child  knows  just  what  a  king  is? 
Why  has  this  story  always  made  a  special  appeal  to  chil- 
dren. Is  it  simple?  overburdened  with  detail?  full  of 
action  ?* 

The  Charm  of  the  Familiar 

After  we  have  set  our  standard  high,  as  to  the  kind  of 
stories  we  should  choose  for  our  children,  we  must  not 
fail  to  recognize  the  fact  that  it  is  the  twice-told  tale 
which  really  appeals  to  a  little  child.  If  we  give  him  his 
choice  as  to  what  we  shall  tell  him,  it  will  almost  inva- 
riably be  the  familiar  tale.  "Tell  it  again,"  is  his  highest 
praise.  The  charm  of  the  well-known  and  well-beloved 
is  so  alluring  to  him  that  only  one  very,  very  far  from 
childhood  will  provide  the  new  to  the  exclusion  of  the  old. 
This  fact  will  enable  us  to  drop  out  the  least  worth  while 
among  the  stories  we  examine,  and  bring  to  him  only  the 
best,  but  those  over  and  over  and  over  again. 

P^or  the  value  of  the  story  lies  not  alone  in  its  message, 
in  its  appeal  to  childhood,  or  in  its  ability  to  touch  a  re- 
sponsive chord,  but  also  in  its  power  to  live  through 
repetition,  to  endure  through  familiarity.  And  one  who 
offers  the  fine  gift  of  a  story  but  once  does  not  understand 
the  heart  of  a  child, — only  she  who  is  eager  to  enjoy  that 
gift  with  him  again  and  again  and  yet  again. 

*As  many  other  stories  may  be  taken  up  in  like  fashion  as 
time  permits.     Such  analytical  work  is  extremely  helpful. 

[52] 


THE    VALUE    OF   THE    STORY 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  State  your  reasons  for  believing  the  story  a  valuable 
leaching  agency  for  little  children. 

2.  Do  you  agree  with  Edward  P.  St.  John's  views,  in 
"Stories  and  Story-Telling,"  chapter  on  "The  Story-Interests 
of  Childhood"? 

3.  Name  the  essential  characteristics  of  a  story  suitable  for 
the  religious  education  of  children. 

4.  Give  a  concrete  proof  of  the  value  of  two  particular 
stories. 

5.  Review  "Telling  Bible  Stories,"  by  Louise  Seymour 
Houghton,  chapter  I,  on  "The  Old  Testament  and  the  Child." 

6.  Analyze  a  favorite  child's  Bible  story  to  find  reasons  for 
its  popularity,  and  tell  how  many  times  it  might  profitably 
occur  in  a  two-years'  course. 


[53] 


LESSON  IX 

How  TO  Tell  a  Story 
You  must  see  what  you  say. — Sara  Cone  Bryant 

A  Story-Teller's  Qualifications 

It  requires  little  argument  to  persuade  teachers  of  the 
value  of  stories  in  a  child's  religious  education.  Indeed, 
it  is  delightful  to  feel  that  one  is  privileged  to  offer  such 
fascinating  educational  material — as  alluring  as  inviting 
children  to  a  feast  of  sweets.  Our  teaching  is  made 
easy  because  we  have  outgrown  the  old  notion  of  draw- 
ing a  strict  dividing  line  between  the  child's  need  and  his 
desire,  and  are  learning  to  minister  to  his  need  through 
his  desire. 

However,  the  appropriate  and  effective  kind  of  story 
may  be  decided  upon,  its  style,  length  and  appeal  all 
suitable  to  the  child's  capacity,  and  yet  the  teacher  will  be 
left  with  a  problem — how  to  tell  it.  For  a  poor  story- 
teller may  spoil  a  good  story,  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
"when  you  make  the  story  your  own  and  tell  it,  the 
listener  gets  the  story  plus  3^our  appreciation  of  it." 

It  is  very  common  to  hear  one  who  tells  stories  well 
called  a  "born  story-teller."  This  is  a  peculiarly  comfort- 
ing appellation  to  a  certain  type  of  person,  who  insists 
she  was  not  born  with  this  or  that  talent,  when  the  truth 
is  that  she  was  born  lazy.  Story-telling  is,  to  be  sure, 
far  easier  to  those  who  have  a  natural  aptitude  for  it, 

[54] 


HOW  TO  TELL  A  STORY 

but  without  time  and  labor  this  aptitude  will  not  produce 
a  fine  story-teller.  It  is  also  true  that  many  a  teacher 
who  feels  that  for  her  story-telling  is  an  impossible  art 
may  become  very  proficient  if  she  is  willing  to  devote 
herself  heartily  to  the  task  of  learning  how. 

There  are,  however,  some  indispensible  qualifications. 
In  the  first  place,  a  successful  story-teller  must  know  and 
love  her  audience.  For  how  can  you  interest  children  un- 
less you  are  able  to  put  yourselves  in  their  places,  and  how 
can  you  know  them  unless  you  possess  the  only  key  that 
will  unlock  their  hearts — the  key  of  love?  With  these 
two  qualifications  you  are  equipped  to  prepare  yourselves 
for  your  audience — an  audience,  by  the  way,  eager  and 
expecting  to  be  pleased,  and  disappointed  if  they  are  not. 

Guides  to  Story-Telling 

If,  then,  you  have  chosen  an  appropriate  story  for  the 
audience  you  know  and  love,  how  shall  you  tell  it?  In 
the  first  place,  as  only  those  who  know  and  love  a  story 
can  tell  it.  What  child  will  hang  on  your  words,  when 
you  are  uncertain  over  the  outcome?  If  you  cor- 
rect yourselves  or  hesitate,  the  children's  attention  is 
gone,  for  you  have  shown  that  the  story  is  not  your  own 
possession,  and  that  therefore  you  cannot  make  a  gift  of 
it.  Your  own  appreciation  of  your  tale  is  also  a  necessity, 
if  you  would  gain  their  appreciation. 

The  suggestions  in  regard  to  one's  manner  of  telling 
stories  are  so  many  and  so  diverse  as  to  discourage  and 
bewilder  a  novice.  "Never  raise  j^our  voice ;  be  calm  and 
use  no  gestures,"  one  advises.  "Be  animated  and 
dramatic;  act  out  your  story,"  say  another.  "Always 
begin  with  a  cheerful  smile,"  pleads  a  third. 

[55] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

I  advise  you  to  cast  all  these  recommendations  to  the 
winds,  and  simply  be  yourselves.  For,  though  a  certain 
type  of  teacher  may  hold  her  children  w^ithout  a  single 
gesture,  with  a  quiet  voice  and  scarcely  changing  expres- 
sion, if  another  teacher,  naturally  more  animated,  should 
endeavor  to  suppress  herself,  she  w^ould  meet  with  a 
total  loss  of  attention  and  interest.  And  it  may  as  well 
be  acknowledged  that  the  cheerful  smile,  when  planned 
for,  is  as  much  scorned  by  our  keen  little  critics  as  any 
other  affectation.  Be  yourselves  by  forgetting  yourselves. 
Forget  even  your  children,  if  you  can,  in  your  absorption 
in  your  story.  Then  manner,  voice,  gestures  and  what 
not  will  adjust  themselves  and  take  their  proper  places 
as  means  to  an  end — that  end  making  the  gift  of  your 
story. 

That  it  be  a  worthy  gift  we  have  before  stipulated, 
which  of  course  means  that  it  must  be  told  in  language 
that  will  not  cheapen  it — simple  but  good  English.  It 
must  be  tricked  out  daintily,  as  a  precious  gift  should  be, 
with  fascinating  repetitions  so  dear  to  a  child's  heart,  and 
with  the  moral  pervading  it  instead  of  being  tacked  on  in 
unsightly  fashion,  or  wrapped  up  so  that  it  cannot  be  read- 
ily found.  Amateur  story-tellers  will  win  greatest  success 
by  at  first  following  closely  well-constructed  and  well- 
written  stories,  before  venturing  to  adapt  tales  them- 
selves. 

Sara  Cone  Bryant  discovered  the  secret  of  the  real 
story-teller  when  she  said,  "You  must  see  what  you  sayf 
She  might  have  added,  "You  must  feel  what  you  say*' 
This  is  the  secret  of  the  preacher,  the  lecturer,  the  actor. 
Only  as  you  live  in  your  story  can  you  give  it  to  others. 

This  is  more  possible  than  the  average  person  imagines. 

[56] 


HOW  TO  TELL  A  STORY 

Confronted  with  a  long  story,  it  may  seem  a  well-nigh 
hopeless  task  to  one  unskilled.  For  this  reason  far  less 
discouraging  to  a  beginner  than  to  tell  an  entire  story  for 
criticism  is  to  try  to  make  a  single  incident  her  own.  If 
you  can  make  us  see  one  object,  you  are  obviously  capable 
of  making  us  see  a  series  of  objects.  If  you  can  make  us 
experience  one  emotion,  you  can  arouse  within  us  others. 
So  I  suggest  several  little  experiments,  as  first  steps  in 
story-telling,  simply  to  test  you,  as  to  whether  you 
can  make  others  see  and  feel  what  you  say. 

Story-Telling  Tests 

I  want  somebody  to  describe  a  tree  so  that  I  shall  see 
it  grow.  You  have  perfect  freedom  to  do  so  in  any  way 
you  like.     The  point  is  to  make  me  see  the  tree  grow.^ 

Describe  a  giant  to  me,  as  if  I  were  a  child  who 
does  not  know  the  meaning  of  the  w^ord.  Make  me 
realize  a  giant's  tallness  and  largeness. 

Tell  me  about  an  animal,  so  that  I  shall  have  some 
feeling  toward  it.  Make  me  like  it  or  hate  it  or  fear  it. 
If  you  have  no  feeling  in  regard  to  the  animal  you  de- 
scribe, neither  shall  I.  Unless  you  can  inspire  in  me  some 
feeling  toward  it,  j^ou  have  not  made  me  see  that  animal. 

Now,  I  want  you  to  make  me  see  a  boy  run  down  the 
street.     Would  you  use  the  dramatic  method  in  this  in- 

*This  has  been  done  in  such  a  class  by  a  word-picture  of 
the  gradual  growth  of  an  oak  from  an  acorn — the  descriptive 
method;  by  kneeling  down  to  represent  a  seed  in  the  earth, 
and  raising  the  body  gradually,  imitating  growth,  till  it  is 
erect,  the  arms  stretched  out  for  branches,  the  fingers^  fluttering 
leaves — the  dramatic  method;  rapid  sketches  of  trees  in  various 
stages  of  growth — the  illustrative  method.  These  methods, 
however,  should  only  be  suggested  as  a  last  resort,  the  original 
idea  of  the  class  being  far  better. 

[57] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

stance?  The  illustrative  method?  How  will  you  do 
it?  Yes,  you  instinctively  hurry  your  words,  to  give  the 
impression  of  swift  motion.  How,  in  a  similar  way, 
would  you  tell  about  a  boy  walking  very,  very  slowly? 
What  could  you  do  to  give  your  listeners  a  chance  to  stop, 
mentally,  and  watch  the  boy  run?  Couldn't  you  say, 
"He  ran  and  he  ran  and  he  ran,"  or  "Oh!  how  fast  he 
ran"? 

Who  can  tell  about  the  blowing  of  the  wind,  so  that  I 
shall  feel  cold?  If  you  cannot  do  this  by  description,  see 
if  gestures  or  imitation  of  the  sound  of  the  wind  will  help. 

Make  me  hear  the  rain  falling.  Describe  the  falling 
of  the  rain  so  that  I  shall  be  glad.' 

Tell  about  a  child  eating  his  dinner.  What  must  you 
do  to  make  this  vivid  ?  Your  small  listeners  want  details. 
"A  mother  brought  her  child  some  good  food"  does  not 
give  the  picture  that  arises  when  you  say,  "A  mother 
brought  her  child  a  bowl  of  bread  and  milk  and  a  red 
apple." 

Can  you  fill  me  with  the  joy  of  a  bird's  spring 
song?  If  you  cannot  imitate  the  notes,  can  you  tell  me 
how  his  little  throat  swells  and  how  he  seems  to  love 
his  song? 

Describe  a  bear  so  that  I  shall  realize  its  size.  Tell  me 
that  a  lamb  called  to  its  mother.  Would  you  say, 
"It  called  and  called"  or  "It  bleated"?  How  can  you 
make  the  cry  more  vivid? 

For  the  next  lesson  we  will  continue  these  tests  of  our 

*  The  rain  may  be  imitated  by  tapping  one's  chair  or  Imitat- 
ing through  the  words,  Fitter,  Patter.  An  account  of  a 
drought  and  the  beneficial  results  of  the  rain  that  followed, 
or  of  a  little  boy's  delight  that  he  can  splash  about  in  his  rubber 
boots  will  illustrate  the  next  point 

[58] 


HOW  TO  TELL  A  STORY 

power,  and  listen  also  to  some  entire  stories  told  by  volun- 
teers for  our  criticism  and  help. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  What    are    the    essential    qualifications    of    a     successful 
story-teller? 

2.  Give    your    ideas    about    method    and    manner     in    story- 
telling. 

3.  Make   a   list  of  the   points   in   "How   to   Tell    Stories    to 
Children,"   by  Sara   Cone  Bryant,  chapter   IV. 

4.  State  in  a  sentence  what  is  the  real  secret  of  story-telling. 

5.  Speak   of  some   tests   used   to   make   incidents  vivid,    and 
analyze  the  methods  employed. 

6.  Prepare   a  story  to  tell   before  the  class   for  criticism. 


[59] 


LESSON  X 

Practise  in  Story-Telling 

//  you  fail  see  luhy  you  fail,  and  then  lay  the  foundation 
for  success.  Listen  to  others  that  know  how  to  do  it. 
Catch  their  points  of  effectiveness.  Above  all  things, 
practise,  practise,  practise! — Amos  R.  Wells 

The  Secret  of  the  Art 

Today  we  continue  our  practise  in  story-telling.  It  is 
an  art  so  fine  that  we  cannot  take  too  great  pains  to 
perfect  ourselves  in  it.  And  the  reward  of  our  labor  is 
satisfactory.  It  is  found  in  the  absorbed  attention,  the 
wondering  eyes,  and  the  happy  sighs  of  the  children  to 
whom  we  tell  our  stories. 

Some  of  you  have  come  prepared  to  tell  stories  for  our 
criticism.  Before  you  tell  them  I  w^ant  volunteers  from 
the  class  to  try  more  of  the  simple  tests  for  making  pic- 
tures vivid  that  I  suggested  last  week.  For  remember, 
"It  is  not  the  story  in  the  lesson  quarterly  that  you  can 
build  into  the  lives  of  your  child ;  it  is  the  story  in  you." 

Marie  Shedlock,  a  story-teller  whose  power  of  making 
words  live  is  remarkable,  won  the  following  comments 
from  a  playground  audience: 

"Is  she  a  fairy  or  a  lady?"  one  child  asked.  "She  made 
me  see  fairies  awful  plain." 

"I  alwaj^s  knew  Pandora  was  a  nice  story,"  said  another 
child,  "but  she  never  seemed  like  a  live  girl  before." 

[60] 


PRACTISE   IN   STORY-TELLING 

Another  admirer  remarked,  "I  liked  'The  Bramin, 
the  Jackal  and  the  Tiger'  best.  Gee!  but  couldn't  you 
see  the  tiger  pace  when  she  was  saying  the  words!" 

"I  love  'The  Little  Tin  Soldier,'  "  said  still  another. 
"Didn't  she  make  him  march  fine?" 

So  you  see  how  you  have  the  oportunity  of  giving  a 
favorite  old  tale  fresh  attractiveness  by  your  manner  of 
telling  it. 

Making  Words  live 

Tell  me  that  a  little  girl  is  sick  so  that  I  shall  be  sorry. 
Vou  may  do  so  in  a  single  sentence  or  more  at  length. 
Do  not  try  this  until  you  feel  just  what  it  means  for  a 
rosy-cheeked,  chubby,  play-loving  child  to  suffer. 

Tell  me  that  a  mother  is  tired,  so  that  I  shall  long  to 
help  her.  Tell  me  what  she  has  done  to  get  tired,  if  you 
like,  or  how  the  weariness  affects  her.  What  you  must 
do,  if  that  tired  mother  is  to  mean  anything  to  me,  is  to 
arouse  my  sympathy. 

Now  I  will  ask  for  something  harder.  Describe  the 
shining  of  the  sun,  so  that  I  shall  feel  glad.  It  is  easier 
for  most  people  to  inspire  others  with  sadness  than  with 
joy.  By  words,  or  drawings,  or  in  any  other  way  you 
can  think  of,  make  me  glad  because  God's  sun  is  filling 
the  world  with  light  and  warmth. 

Who  can  describe  children  playing,  so  that  I  shall  feel 
some  of  the  pleasure  they  experience?  Perhaps  you  can 
even  make  me  long  to  play. 

Telling  Bible  Stories 

Let  us  turn  now  to  some  of  the  Bible  stories.  I  want 
you  to  tell  parts  of  these  to  me,  as  if  I  were  a  child.     In 

[6i] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

order  to  tell  me  even  a  part  of  such  a  story  so  that  I  shall 
see  and  feel  it,  you  must  get  into  touch  with  the  charac- 
ters, so  that  for  you  they  live,  and  you  must  realize  the  in- 
cidents you  relate. 

Think  about  the  story  of  the  flood,  and  picture  to 
yourselves  the  dreary  days  spent  floating  upon  a  vrorld  of 
water.  Think  what  sunshine  and  the  possibility  of  step- 
ping upon  the  earth  must  have  meant  to  Noah  and  his 
family.  Now  I  want  somebody  to  say,  "They  came  out 
into  the  fresh,  clean,  bright,  shining  world."  You  need 
not  necessarily  say  these  exact  words.  Turn  the  sentence 
about,  if  it  is  more  natural  to  you,  or  use  other  words  to 
give  the  idea — anything  to  make  it  your  own  ex- 
pression. Only  somehow  you  must  make  me  feel  what 
Noah  felt. 

Think  now  of  Jesus  and  the  nobleman  whose  son  was 
sick.  I  want  you  to  feel  the  tender  sympathy  Jesus  felt, 
when  he  saw  the  father's  worried  face,  and  heard  him  say, 
"Come  down  before  my  child  dies!"  Tell  me  that  Jesus 
longed  to  help  him,  so  that  I  may  feel  how  much,  how 
very  much,  he  longed  to  help. 

I  want  you  to  think  about  Jacob,  and  how,  at  night, 
far  away  from  his  home,  he  fell  asleep,  under  the  stars, 
with  a  stone  for  a  pillow.  He  had  supposed  himself 
quite  alone.  I  want  you  to  say  what  God  said  to  him  in 
a  dream,  so  that  I  shall  feel  all  that  this  profound  truth 
would  mean  to  Jacob  the  rest  of  his  life.  I  will  write 
the  words  on  the  board, — "I  am  with  thee.  I  will  not 
leave  thee." 

Picture  the  disciples  fishing  in  vain  that  night  on  the 
sea.  Tell  me  how  they  threw  their  nets  over  into  the 
water  and  pulled  them  in  empty,  again  and  again  and  yet 

[62] 


PRACTISE    IN   STORY-TFXLING 

again.  Would  gesture  be  appropriate  here?  I  have 
known  children  to  go  through  the  motions  spontaneously, 
when  retelling  the  story.  How  would  you  show  that  the 
nets  were  at  last  full  of  fishes? 

Now  think  of  Mary,  of  her  sweet  modesty,  her  purity, 
her  goodness.  Express  the  wonder  she  must  have  felt  at 
the  promise  that  she  should  be  the  mother  of  the  Saviour. 
'*To  think  that  this  wonderful  thing  should  happen  to 
me!"^ 

Telling  Stories  for  Criticism 

Is  it  necessary,  in  order  to  get  the  best  results  from  a 
story,  to  create  a  good  atmosphere  before  telling  it  ?  Are 
such  devices  as  these  useful — to  listen  to  find  out  whether 
the  clock  is  ticking;  to  go  to  sleep  and  wake  up  when  I 
say,  "Once  upon  a  time";  a  few  soft  chords  on  the  piano? 

We  will  now  hear  the  stories  that  you  have  prepared. 
We  will  all  listen  without  interruption,  and  give  you  our 
undivided  attention.  At  the  close  we  will  criticize  each 
story  in  the  following  ways.' 

1.  Is  it  a  story  worth  telling? 

2.  What  is  its  message? 

3.  Is  this  truth  well  brought  out? 

4.  Is  the  story  simple? 

5.  Is  it  within  the  children's  comprehension? 

6.  Was  it  told  as  if  it  were  well  liked? 

7.  Was  it  perfectly  known  by  the  teller? 

*  Further  illustrations  may  be  used,  if  there  is  time. 

'  Even  severe  criticism  need  not  be  discouraging,  if  the  good 
as  well  as  the  bad  points  are  noted,  and  if  it  is  made  for  the 
sake  of  improvement,  and  is  not  merely  destructive. 

[63] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

8.  What  were  the  good  points  in  the  telling? 

9.  What  were  the  bad  points? 
10.  Discuss   both. 

Will  anybody  tell  us  one  of  the  stories  already  told, 
or  another,  as  if  we  w^re  children  who  know  little 
English?  How  will  this  influence  your  choice  of  words? 
your  method?  Shall  you  be  more  dramatic?  May  a 
gesture  sometimes  explain  a  word? 

Next  week  I  want  you  to  come  prepared  to  tell  Bible 
or  nature  stories,  such  as  one  would  use  in  Sunday  school. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Suggest  some  original  tests  for  making  words  live. 

2.  Suggest  parts  of  Bible  stories  for  practise  in  vivid  story- 
telling. 

3.  By  what  means  can  a  good  atmosphere  for  story-telling 
be  created? 

4.  Write  out  what  you  consider  your  own  strong  and  weak 
points  as  a  story-teller. 

5.  How  many  opportunities  have  you  had  this  week  to  tell 
stories  to  children?     Might  you  have  made  more? 

6.  Prepare  a  Bible  or  nature  story  to  tell  next  week  for 
criticism. 


[64] 


LESSON  XI 

Building  the  Program — ^The  Story  Period 

Let  all  things  be  done  decently  and  in  order. — Paul 
the  Apostle 

One  Essential 

Is  a  program  necessary,  If  we  are  to  make  the  best  use 
of  our  Sunday-school  hour,  or  will  it  curb  the  child's 
liberty  too  much  and  destroy  spontaneous  sequence  of 
thought?  Will  it,  on  the  other  hand,  tend  to  give  em- 
phasis to  the  most  important  things?  If  we  are  to  have 
a  program,  must  it  be  elastic?  Certainly  otherwise  it 
will  be  a  hindrance  rather  than  a  help. 

I  want  you  to  put  out  of  you  minds  any  preconceived 
ideas  you  may  have  of  the  program  for  a  Beginners'  ses- 
sion, so  that  we  may  discuss  it  in  a  fresh  and  unpreju- 
diced fashion.  Even  in  such  a  mechanical  matter  as  the 
program,  let  us  keep  close  to  the  little  child's  needs. 
These  needs  should  determine  the  program,  instead  of 
the  program  being  adapted  to  the  child's  needs. 

We  have  already  decided  upon  certain  religious  truths 
that  are  necessary  to  little  children.  We  are  convinced 
that  the  only  way  of  bringing  these  truths  before  them 
with  any  certainty  is  to  arrange  them  in  logical  sequence, 
and  to  illustrate  them  with  suitable  story  material,  thus 
forming  a  curriculum.     This,  of  course,  means  that  each 

[65] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

Sunday  there  Is  a  certain  theme  to  be  impressed  througli 
a  new  story  or  a  group  of  old  stories.  There  must,  then, 
be  a  place  reserved  in  the  program  for — what?  Ob- 
viously, for  telling  the  story.  Let  us  write  that  down  as  a 
very  necessary  part  of  our  program. 

Before  the  Story 

Will  telling  the  story  mean  only  that?  May  it  occa- 
sionally be  necessary  to  explain  some  words  or  references 
in  the  story  before  telling  it,  so  that  it  need  not  be  inter- 
rupted ?     Can  you  think  of  a  possible  instance  ? 

Suppose  your  story  is  about  sheep,  and  you  know  that 
some  of  your  children  have  never  seen  a  sheep,  either  pic- 
tured or  in  real  life.  Will  you  begin  your  story,  and, 
when  the  time  comes  for  the  sheep  to  enter,  forsake  the 
role  of  storj^-teller  for  that  of  instructor,  and  let  your 
characters  defer  action  while  you  explain  what  manner 
of  animal  a  sheep  is? 

Ought  large  words  to  be  made  clear  beforehand? 
Why  not?  Might  anything  else  be  done  before  the  story, 
to  make  It  more  effective?  Is  it  Important  that  anticipa- 
tion be  aroused?  Is  it  usually  sufficient  to  announce 
that  you  will  tell  a  story?  Is  the  attention  attracted  by 
the  words,  *'Once  upon  a  time,''  or  ''Long,  long  ago"? 
Suppose  you  have  a  new  story  about  a  favorite  character, 
such  as  David.  Will  It  add  any  to  the  Interest  to  say, 
"I  will  tell  you  another  story  about  David"?  Will  it 
be  likely  to  arouse  interest  in  the  children  to  hear  that  you 
are  to  tell  them  about  the  baby  Moses  when  he  was 
grown  up,  or  about  the  little  Lord  Jesus  after  he  had  be- 
come a  man? 

The  stories  are  told  to  illustrate  certain  truths,  and 

[66] 


THE    STORY    PERIOD 

they  have  failed  of  their  purpose  if  these  truths  are  not 
made  very  plain.  Will  a  child  be  any  more  apt  to  see 
a  truth  in  a  story  if,  before  hearing  it,  he  has  talked  a 
little  about  that  truth  ?  For  instance,  if  the  story  is  told 
to  illustrate  obedience,  the  children's  ideas  on  obedience 
may  be  drawn  out  before  it  is  told.  If  the  thought  to  be 
emphasized  is  children's  helpfulness,  a  few  questions  may 
be  asked  about  the  ways  in  which  the  children  help  at 
home.  Suggest  possible  approaches  of  this  sort  to  some 
of  the  stories  we  use  in  Sunday  school.  Do  you  care  to 
discuss  the  efficiency  of  the  method? 

Let  us  remember  this — that  each  story  should  be  judged 
as  a  unit,  and  its  special  treatment  decided  upon.  We 
are  far  too  liable  to  become  stereotyped  and  mechanical 
and  to  overwork  any  method,  no  matter  how  good. 

After  the  Story 

What  can  we  do  after  the  story  that  will  intensify  its 
message?  For  this  is  our  great  need.  Will  this  be  ac- 
complished if  the  children  retell  it  directly  after  listen- 
ing to  it?  If  they  express  the  ideas  received  by  means 
of  some  simple  hand-work?  If  the  teacher  reiterates  the 
truth,  applying  it  to  the  child's  life,  urging  him  to 
obedience,  helpfulness  or  what  not? 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  immediate  and  necessarily  crude 
retelling  of  the  story  by  the  children,  whether  through 
lips  or  fingers,  takes  away  from  the  impression  we  make, 
and  we  must  never  forget  that  our  teaching  is  "not  for 
imparting  facts  but  for  the  culture  of  feeling."  The 
process  so  aptly  called  "rubbing  it  in"  we  all  know  from 
experience  defeats  its  aim. 

What,  then,  remains — simply  dismissal?     Is  there  any 

[67] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

beautiful  expression  of  the  story's  truth  that  might  be 
made  at  this  time?  How  about  the  repetition  of  a 
Bible  verse?  a  song?  a  prayer?  May  the  children  be  al- 
lowed the  opportunity  to  make  natural  responses?  Will 
the  examination  of  the  story  picture  interfere  with  or 
stimulate  this  free  expression? 

Let  us  write  down,  as  a  very  necessary  part  of  our  pro- 
gram, The  Story  Period,  dividing  it  into  a  possible 
Approach,  the  Story  Proper,  and  the  brief  space  follow- 
ing, which  may  be  termed  After  the  Story. 

How  long  do  you  think  one  can  possibly  hold  the 
attention  of  a  Beginners'  class  for  a  story?  What  is  the 
shortest  length  of  time  necessary  for  telling  a  story? 
Calling  eight  minutes  the  longest  time  that  one  will  at- 
tempt to  hold  the  children's  attention,  and  three  minutes 
the  shortest  length  of  time  required  for  a  tale,  allowing 
for  a  possible  approach  and  a  few  moments  for  strength- 
ening the  feeling  at  the  close,  is  not  fifteen  minutes  a  fair 
length  for  the  story  period?  And  we  have  agreed  that 
this  should  come  at  the  end  of  the  hour. 

The  Children's  Part 

Now  have  we,  in  these  fifteen  minutes,  given  all  the 
time  necessary  to  the  story?  Have  we  three-quarters  of 
an  hour  left  for  the  rest  of  the  program — for  prayer,  song, 
Bible  verse,  and  the  other  parts  we  consider  essential? 
Will  fifteen  minutes  a  Sunday  adequately  "do"  the  story, 
so  that  it  need  never  be  mentioned  again?  Visit  the 
nursery  and  see  how  it  is  there.  Is  one  recital  of  "The 
Three  Bears"  enough?  two?  three?  Do  the  children 
ever  tell  it  or  join  in  the  telling?  Do  they  refer  to 
the  story?  act  it  out? 

[68] 


THE    STORY    PERIOD 

Certainly  we  want  the  stories  we  tell  in  Sunday  school 
to  be  as  well-beloved  as  nursery  tales.  We  have  sug- 
gested that  some  stories  occur  more  than  once  in  the 
course,  and  that  occasionally  there  be  a  choice 
among  several  old  tales.  We  must  also  give  the  children 
an  opportunity  to  talk  about  the  stories,  to  tell  them  to 
us,  to  think  of  the  characters  as  real  friends,  to  refer  to 
the  incidents  as  well-known  events. 

We  have  already  decided  that  we  cannot  wisely  request 
them  to  retell  the  story  directly  after  we  have  told  it. 
We  shall,  then,  have  to  reserve  a  place  for  this  review 
somewhere  before  the  story  period  of  the  following  week. 
Let  us  consider  exactly  what  we  are  going  to  do  with 
the  old  story.  Shall  we  look  upon  it  in  the  light  of  a 
lesson  to  be  perfectly  recited?  If  we  do,  we  shall  be 
sadly  disappointed,  for  at  four  and  five  the  vocabulary 
is  limited,  and  the  power  of  continuous  expression  usually 
small,  although  now  and  then  a  child  is  able  to  tell  an 
entire  story  alone.  We  can  expect  at  best  disjointed 
sentences.  The  whole  plot  of  the  story  may  be  condensed 
by  a  child  in  a  few  words. 

What  we  want  is  vivid  interest  in  the  old  story.  Is 
a  good  way  of  securing  this  interest  to  ask,  "What  was 
our  last  story  about?"  Does  it  make  a  happier  beginning 
to  say,  "Whom  was  our  last  story  about?"  The  names  of 
Bible  characters  are  often  unusual  and  difficult  for  chil- 
dren to  remember.  Might  a  child  have  an  excellent  knowl- 
edge of  the  story  and  yet  not  be  able  to  pronounce  the 
hero's  name?  Tell  me  some  ways  of  introducing  the  re- 
view story  that  will  insure  interest.  Showing  the  picture 
will  awaken  memories  of  the  story  in  nearly  every  child. 
Another  very  popular  method  is  to  begin  the  story  exactly 

[69] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

as  you  did  at  the  first  telling,  and  stop  every  now  and 
then  for  the  children  to  go  on.  They  will  take  the  sen- 
tences out  of  your  mouth.  Sometimes  there  will  be  a 
chorus  of  little  voices.  The  interest  will  be  even 
more  intense  than  that  at  the  first  hearing. 

Would  you  ever  act  out  a  story  in  Sunday  school?  Do 
you  think  the  possibility  of  doing  so  depends  largely  upon 
the  kind  of  story?  Would  you  care  to  act  out  an  episode 
in  Christ's  life?  On  the  other  hand,  would  such  a  story 
as  "Ruth  in  the  Barley  Field"  lend  itself  very  readily  to 
this  method  of  reproduction? 

Do  you  ever  hear  of  your  children  spontaneously  acting 
out  their  Sunday-school  stories  at  home?  The  story  of 
baby  Moses  was  played  in  one  home,  the  clothes-basket 
being  pressed  into  service.  A  minister's  small  daughter 
was  so  impressed  by  the  story  of  the  good  Samaritan  that 
she  insisted  upon  playing  it  at  home  again  and  again,  the 
father  nobly  consenting  to  take  the  part  of  the  donkey! 
A  mother  hastened  to  the  nursery  at  the  sound  of  cries, 
and  found  her  little  son  pummeling  his  baby  sister.  "She 
is  the  lion  that's  getting  my  lamb;  I'm  David,"  he  ex- 
plained. When  the  mother  suggested  that  the  sister  fig- 
ure as  the  lamb  and  a  chair  represent  the  lion,  the  boy 
was  perfectly  content,  his  only  wish  being  to  make  real 
his  favorite  story.  These  instances  simply  illustrate  the 
natural  tendency  of  children  to  dramatize  a  story  that 
has  taken  hold  of  them. 

The  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter  is  this — that  if 
the  story  is  to  effectively  bring  its  message  to  the  child, 
it  must  not  only  be  told  vividly,  but  approached  wisely, 
followed  up  sympathetically,  and  reviewed  in  a  way  that 
will  heighten  the  interest. 

[70] 


THE    STORY    PERIOD 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Give  your  reasons  for  and  against  making  a  program, 
and  indicate  the  characteristics  of  a  program  which  will  not 
hinder  spontaneity. 

2.  Choose  three  stories  used  in  the  International  Beginners' 
Course,  and  give  what  you  consider  poor  methods  of  approach 
to   these   stories. 

3.  Give  your  ideas  as  to  wise  methods  of  approach  to  these 
same  stories. 

4.  Write  out  ways  of  filling  the  few  moments  following 
these  stories  that  you  think  tend  to  detract  from  the  eflfect  pro- 
duced. 

5.  Suggest  eflFective  ways  of  filling  this  time. 

6.  Give  general  plans  for  the  interesting  review  of  stories, 
and  mention  those  you  believe  most  applicable  to  the  three 
stories  already  considered. 


[71] 


LESSON  XII 

Building  the  Program — The  Circle  Talk 

Self-expression  is  at  once  the  motive  and  the  method 
of  all  culture.— Milton  S.  Littlefield 

What  It  Is 

Did  you  ever  witness,  or  better,  participate  in  a  public 
kindergarten  "morning  talk"?  Of  what  does  it  consist? 
Give  me  your  impression  of  this  part  of  the  kindergarten 
program.  Do  you  think  something  similar  fills  a 
need  in  the  Sunday-school  hour?  It  certainly  seems  im- 
portant that  we  set  apart  a  period  for  the  free  interchange 
of  thought,  when  the  children  may  have  an  opportunity 
to  express  themselves  spontaneously  and  informally. 

However,  in  spite  of  the  importance  of  the  children's 
free  self-expression,  isn't  there  also  an  opportunity,  in- 
deed, a  necessity  for  instruction  on  the  part  of  the  teacher? 
Surely  the  educational  ideal  is  a  happy  combination  of 
self-expression  and  instruction.  This  instruction  means 
something  entirely  foreign  to  a  laborious  impartation  of 
facts  or  a  dry  drill  on  words.  It  means  assisting,  building 
upon  and  interpreting  the  child's  spontaneous  self-expres- 
sion. Froebel  meant  this  when  he  made  the  revolu- 
tionary statement,  noted  in  a  previous  lesson, — "Educa- 
tion and  instruction  should  from  the  very  first  be  passive, 
observant,  protective,  rather  than  prescribing,  determin- 

[72] 


THE   CIRCLE   TALK 

ing,  interfering."  Madame  Montessorl,  the  modern 
Italian  educator,  has  this  original  conception  of  a  teacher — 
that  she  is  not  the  dictator  but  the  observer,  not  the  leader 
but  the  follower.  She  must  be  trained  to  note  sympa- 
thetically the  children's  spontaneous  acts,  not  to  interfere 
unless  these  are  injurious  to  others,  but  to  be  always  on 
the  alert  to  suggest  and  assist  in  carrying  out  ideas. 

This  ideal,  somewhat  modified,  should  be  maintained  In 
the  circle  talk.  Questions  are  to  be  answered,  remarks 
commented  upon  and  related  to  the  theme  under  consid- 
eration, activities  not  forbidden  but  regulated,  new  knowl- 
edge made  merely  the  outgrowth  of  old.  So  shall  we  be 
developing  rather  than  forcing  our  children. 

Story  and  Song 

Suppose  we  consider  the  component  parts  of  the  circle 
talk,  and  place  them  under  the  two  headings  Instruction 
and  Self-Expression/ 

Now  that  we  have  a  good  number  of  possibilities  for 
our  circle  talk,  we  must  consider  whether  our  placing  has 
been  wise.  The  review  of  the  last  story  is  properly 
placed  under  Self-Expression,  as  the  child's  relation  of  it  is 
obviously  that.  The  only  opportunity  for  instruction  is 
when  a  wrong  idea  has  been  gained  by  the  child,  as  in  the 
case  of  a  little  girl  for  whom  the  Ingredients  of  Elijah's 
cake  were  meal  and  kerosene,  or  the  child  who  insisted 
that  Moses  was  hidden  by  his  mother  "in  a  clothes-press." 

As  to  songs,  of  course  there  rnust  be  instruction,  if  the 

'These  parts  should  be  mentioned  by  the  class  and  placed 
in  the  columns  in  which  they  decide  they  belong.  Discussion 
may  cause  them  to  be  placed  in  both  columns  or  transferred 
from  one  to  the  other.  The  above  discussion  is  of  course 
merely  suggestive. 

[73] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

child  is  to  be  able  to  sing  them  at  all.  A  song  cannot  be 
developed  from  his  inner  consciousness.  It  is  something 
to  be  learned  and  so  requires  teaching.  However,  isn't 
the  ultimate  function  of  a  song  self-expression?  And 
whether  it  can  ever  become  self-expression  depends  largely 
upon  the  manner  in  which  it  is  taught.  Suppose  we  illus- 
trate by  three  methods  of  teaching  Stevenson's  classic 
couplet — a  verse  ideally  suited  to  little  children,  both  in 
thought  and  expression. 

"The  world  is  so  full  of  a  number  of  things, 
I'm  sure  we  should  all  be  as  happy  as  kings." 

The  first  method  proceeds  something  as  follows : 

"Now,  children,  we  are  to  learn  a  new  song,  and  I 
want  you  to  pay  attention.  You  must  learn  to  sing  it 
well,  so  that  when  your  fathers  and  mothers  come  to 
visit,  I  shall  not  be  ashamed  of  you.  Listen  and  say  the 
words  after  me. 

"  'The  world  is  so  full  of  a  number  of  things.' 

"The  little  boys  may  say  it  alone — the  little  girls — the 
five-year-old-children — the  four-year-old-children — all  to- 
gether. I  will  say  the  second  line  very,  very  plainly. 
You  may  try  it — again — again.  Now  both  lines.  You 
know  the  words  pretty  well,  so  I  will  teach  you  the  tune." 
After  which  the  children  are  drilled  on  the  music  in  like 
fashion. 

This  may  be  termed  the  drill  method.  The  children 
are  trained  to  perform.  Would  it  be  possible  for  a 
song  learned  in  this  way  to  become  self-expression? 

A  second  method,  the  explanatory,  is  largely  a  reaction 
from  the  first.  In  an  attempt  to  avoid  thoughtless  drill 
the  teacher  starts  out  with  the  determination  to  leave 
no  word  meaningless,  and  thus  the  song  is  taught: 

[74] 


THE   CIRCLE   TALK 

"Dear  children,  do  5^ou  know  what  the  world  is?  It  is 
the  round  ball  upon  which  we  live.  The  world  is  full 
of  all  sorts  of  things  for  us.  Did  you  ever  drink  from  a 
glass  that  had  only  a  few  drops  of  water  in  it?  That 
glass  was  not  full.  When  the  water  reaches  up  to  the 
very  brim,  the  glass  is  full.  Now  the  world  is  full — like 
the  full  glass  of  water — of  a  number  of  things — not  one 
or  two  or  three  things,  but  a  number."  Thus  the  teacher 
drones  on,  laboriously  endeavoring  to  make  clear  the  sim- 
ple verse,  trying  to  define  happiness,  as  she  teaches  the 
second  line,  and  to  give  a  clear  picture  of  a  king.  We 
might  term  this  conscientious  discursiveness. 

In  a  third  method  the  teacher  escapes  both  Scylla  and 
Charj^bdis  by  avoiding  undue  drill  and  wearisome  ex- 
planation. This  may  be  called  the  inspiring  method,  and 
is  certainly  the  one  that  will  lead  to  self-expression. 

"Let's  think  of  all  the  things  in  the  world  that  make 
us  happy,"  she  begins;  "bread  and  milk  and  apples  and 
v/arm  coats  and  nice  houses  and — "  letting  the  children 
go  on  in  detail,  which  is  a  child's  delight.  Then  she  says, 
quite  naturally, — 

"  The  world  is  so  full  of  a  number  of  things, 
I'm  sure  we  should  all  be  as  happy  as  kings.' 

"I'll  sing  about  it,  and  while  I  sing,  you  may  think  of 
all  those  things  you  told  me  about  that  the  world  is  full 
of  to  make  you  happy. 

"I  felt  as  happy  as  a  king  when  I  sang.  Did  I  look  so? 
Sing  it  with  me,  and  I  shall  know  from  your  faces  if  you 
are  really  and  truly  happy." 

The  simple  words  are  easily  caught,  and  the  simple  tune 
has  perhaps  been  made  familiar  for  a  Sunday  or  two,  but 
the  main  point  is  that  the  spirit  of  the  song  has  been  in- 

[75] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

fused  into  the  children,  so  that  it  becomes  an  expression  of 
gladness,  and  connects  itself  naturally  with  their  gifts, 
with  joyous  events  in  their  lives,  with  the  pictures  and 
stories  in  Sunday  school  that  tell  of  the  loving  care  of  the 
heavenly  Father.  It  will  hereafter  be  suggested  at  ap- 
propriate times  by  the  children,  not  only  in  Sunday  school 
but  at  home. 

For  instance,  one  child  of  three,  who  saw  for  the  first 
time  a  picture  of  a  child  sitting  in  the  midst  of  an  array 
of  toys  said,  "Let's  sing  the  song  that  belongs  to  it." 

"But  there  is  no  song.  This  is  a  new  picture,"  insisted 
a  dense  grown-up. 

"Oh,  yes,  there  is,— 'The  world  is  so  full.'  " 

This  is  merely  illustrative  of  the  spirit  in  which  a  song 
may  be  sympathetically  taught.  Less  simple  words  need, 
of  course,  some  repetition,  and  totally  foreign  expressions 
a  slight  explanation,  but  the  method  of  instruction,  to- 
gether with  the  appropriate  use,  determines  the  possibility 
of  a  song's  real  function — worship  and  praise  and  the  nat- 
ural expression  of  thought  and  feeling. 

Bible  Verses 

Let  us  take  up  next  the  learning  of  Bible  verses.  They, 
too,  must  be  taught,  but  there  is  a  world-wide  difference 
between  their  use  as  recitation  and  as  expression  of 
thought.  Again,  the  inadequate  teacher  demands  the  per- 
fect recital  of  last  Sunday's  Bible  verse,  and  praise  follows 
upon  glibness,  while  the  failure  to  have  the  words  on  the 
ends  of  unaccustomed  tongues  wins  disapproval.  "Didn't 
mother  teach  it  to  you?  You  are  the  only  boy  who 
cannot  say  his  verse!"  the  teacher  remarks,  and  the  folders 
are  given   out   with   the   stern   injunction   to   learn   the 

[76] 


THE   CIRCLE   TALK 

verse  thereon,  the  words  of  which  are  distinctly  and 
slowly  read. 

Suppose  we  watch  our  sympathetic  teacher  and  see  how 
she  treats  the  Bible  verses.  She  has  finished  the  story  of 
the  cruel  behavior  of  Joseph's  brothers.  ''  'Let  us  love  one 
another/  "  she  says  softly.  The  following  Sunday  there  is 
a  little  conversation  about  the  children's  family  relation- 
ships. "Shall  we  say  the  little  Bible  verse  that  tells 
how  to  keep  a  home  happy?"  she  asks.  "  'Let  us  love 
one  another.'  "  Then  a  finger  family  song  is  sung,  and 
quite  naturally  the  verse  again  repeated — "Let  us  love 
one  another." 

Or  when  the  story  is  about  God's  care  for  birds  and 
animals,  the  teacher  weaves  in  most  naturally  the  verse, 
"Your  heavenly  Father  feedeth  them."  And  what  could 
be  more  satisfactory  on  the  following  Sunday  than  for  a 
child  to  touch  the  picture  of  squirrels  caressingly  and  say, 
"Your  heavenly  Father  feedeth  them." 

Compare  a  recitation  of  the  verse,  "Be  ye  kind  one  to 
another,"  and  a  use  of  it  in  connection  with  pictures  of 
kind  people,  or  those  who  have  failed  in  kindness.  Does 
it  call  forth  such  a  vivid  sense  of  God's  care  to  merely 
recite  for  approbation  the  words,  "He  careth  for  you,"  as 
for  each  child  to  say  the  verse,  adding  another  child's 
name  and  thus  making  it  personal  ? 

Some  teachers,  whose  vision  is  not  greater  than  a  per- 
fect recitation,  drill  on  prayer  verses  and  let  the  children 
compete  as  to  who  can  say  them  best,  while  instead  they 
might  in  them  find  a  means  to  worship.  For  it  is  very 
real  worship  w^hen  a  child,  after  speaking  of  daytime  joys 
and  the  night  when  God's  stars  keep  watch,  bows  his 
head  and  says,  "  'The  day  is  thine,  the  night  also  is  thine.*  " 

[77] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

It  is  neither  asking  nor  giving  thanks,  but  nevertheless 
an  expression  of  gladness  and  wonder  at  God's  power, 
when  after  recounting  winter  joys  or  summer  beauties  a 
child  prays,  rather  than  says,  "  'Thou  hast  made  sum- 
mer and  winter.'  " 

Can  you  add  instances  of  Bible  verses  used  in  such  nat- 
ural ways?  What  is  your  conclusion  in  regard  to  their 
function  ? 


QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Explain  what  is  meant  by  the  "circle  talk." 

2.  Give  your   reasons   for   considering   it  important. 

3.  How  are  both  self-expression  and  instruction  a  necessary 
part   of    a    child's    education? 

4.  Give  an  instance  of  the  formal  teaching  of  a  song. 

5.  Prepare  to  teach  a  song  in  a  way  that  will  induce  self- 
expression. 

6.  Describe  the  sympathetic  and  unsympathetic  use  of  Bible 
verses. 


[78] 


LESSON  XIII 

Building  the  Program — The  Circle  Talk 
{continued) 

With  language  begins  Expression  and  Representation 
of  the  inner  Being  of  Man. — Friedrich  Froebel 

The  Ideal  Atmosphere 

We  prate  much  of  the  advantage  of  the  right  atmos- 
phere during  the  circle  talk,  and  in  my  opinion  try  to  cap- 
ture this  desirable  condition  in  exactly  the  wrong  way. 

Have  you  ever  seen  a  teacher  endeavoring  to  force  an 
atmosphere  artificially?  Was  the  effect  wholesome? 
Isn't  it  on  the  same  principle  as  setting  out  to  influence 
others?  He  who  most  eifectually  casts  the  spell  of  his 
individuality  over  his  fellowmen  is  he  who  is  uncon- 
sciously noble,  spontaneously  helpful.  So  it  is  the  teach- 
er's spirit  that  creates  the  atmosphere — her  forgetfulness 
of  self  in  her  interest  in  the  children ;  her  susceptibility  to 
their  feelings;  her  own  longing  for  worship;  her  absorp- 
tion in  the  theme  of  the  day;  her  enthusiasm  in  the  sub- 
jects discussed.  Without  decrying  in  the  least  such 
assistance  as  music  and  beautiful  surroundings  and  the 
informal  arrangement  of  the  circle,  after  all,  it  is  the 
soul  of  the  teacher  that  induces  the  ideal  atmosphere. 

[79] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

The  Child's  Worship 

We  have  already  spoken  of  two  Important  elements  of 
the  circle  talk — song  and  Bible  verse,  and  decided  that 
they  should  be  placed  under  both  the  headings  Instruction 
and  Self-Expression.  Let  us  take  up  next  the  subject 
of  prayer — a  very  necessary  part  of  the  circle  talk. 

Supposing  that  we  as  teachers  are  In  tune  both  with  our 
heavenly  Father  and  his  little  children,  and  keenly  alive 
to  the  privilege — you  note  I  say  privilege  rather  than  duty 
— of  communicating  with  him,  how  Is  true  prayer  to  be 
Induced?  Must  It,  to  be  sincere,  be  wholly  spontaneous, 
the  words  the  choice  of  the  moment,  the  chance  expression 
of  an  immediate  thought? 

Surely  there  is  a  wonderful  reality  In  these  little,  spon- 
taneous prayers,  when  we  name  over  the  things  for  which 
we  are  glad — the  new  suit,  our  food,  or  rather,  apples, 
bread,  cereal.  Ice-cream,  and  the  specialized  list  which  a 
little  child  must  always  give,  the  flowers  we  have  brought 
to  Sunday  school,  the  sunshine  coming  through  the  win- 
dow— and  say  or  sing  "Thank  you."  Sometimes  w^e  do 
not  go  so  far  as  to  express  gratitude  but  simply  say,  "We 
are  glad."  Often  the  praj^er  is  one  asking  for  help,  or, 
when  our  thoughts  are  turned  to  kindness,  we  stop  to 
say,  "Please  help  us  always  to  be  kind  to  our  sisters  and 
brothers."  If  the  theme  is  obedience,  we  ask  to  be  made 
strong  to  mind,  no  matter  if  we  don't  want  to;  If  help- 
fulness, we  tell  the  heavenly  Father  that  we  shall  try 
never  to  forget  to  help  care  for  the  birds  and  our  pets. 

Such  spontaneous  prayers  are  the  finest  kind  of  self- 
expression,  and  the  Informality  of  the  Beginners'  circle, 
together  with  the  teacher's  spirit.  Induces  the  atmosphere 
that    makes    them    not    only    possible    but    necessary. 

[80] 


THE   CIRCLE   TALK 

What  influence  do  you  believe  such  worship  will  have  upon 
the  child's  prayers  as  he  grows  older?  Will  it  be  easy 
and  natural  for  him  to  speak  to  God  from  the  heart  any- 
where and  at  any  time?  Will  this  habit  of  communing 
with  him  so  cling  that,  like  Enoch,  our  children  will  all 
their  lives  "walk  with  God"? 

And  yet  there  are  more  formal  prayers  which,  like 
songs,  must  be  learned,  which  the  unsympathetic  teacher 
may  reduce  to  mere  forms,  and  which,  on  the  other  hand, 
may  serve  as  a  delightful  and  childlike  medium  of  wor- 
ship. We  have  spoken  of  Bible  prayer-verses  and  there 
are  also  prayer  songs  and  prayer-poems.  These  require 
instruction,  but  of  that  sort  which  will  lead  to  self- 
expression. 

A  three-year-old  child,  who  was  away  from  home  with 
her  parents  for  several  weeks,  said  on  her  return,  "Every 
morning  I  sang, 

"  'Father,  we  thank  thee  for  the  night, 
And    for    the    pleasant    morning    light.' 

"I'd  lie  in  my  crib  and  sing  it  all  by  myself." 

Wasn't  that  charming  self-expression?  "Jesus,  Ten- 
der Shepherd,  Hear  Me"  becomes  a  beloved  evening 
prayer,  and  both  in  Sunday  school  and  at  home  children 
sympathetically  taught  such  prayers  will  suggest  their  use. 

There  is  still  another  phase  of  worship  which  can 
scarcely  be  tabulated,  and  yet  which  is  perhaps  the 
truest  worship  of  a  little  child.  It  is  his  wonder.  Carlyle 
has  said,  "Worship  is  transcendent  wonder." 

An  Easter  lily  stood  in  the  circle  one  Easter  Sunday. 
On  the  blackboard  was  the  drawing  of  a  church  bell,  and 
on  the  wall  a  picture  of  a  church  spire  in  which  hung  a 
bell. 

[8i] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

"Find  me  an  Easter  bell,"  said  the  teacher,  whose  plan 
was  to  introduce  the  thought  of  the  day  by  speaking  of 
the  Easter  bells  that  call  people  to  church. 

A  small  boy,  with  never  a  glance  at  drawing  or  picture, 
stepped  eagerly  to  the  plant,  and  touched  almost  rever- 
ently one  of  the  white  lilies.  "God's  Easter  bell,"  he 
said. 

And  then,  in  groups  of  two  or  three  the  children  went 
up  to  the  lily,  caressing  its  fair  petals,  inhaling  its  fra- 
grance, and — wondering.  There  was  during  those  mo- 
ments worship,  though  no  audible  prayer.  For  what 
could  be  truer  worship  than  the  raising  of  the  children's 
hearts  in  loving  wonder  to  the  Creator  of  beauty! 

When  your  children  bring  you  the  flower,  tht  dainty 
sea-shell,  the  marvelous  bird's-nest,  the  painted  autumn 
leaf,  do  3^ou  thank  them  and  say,  "How  pretty!"  possibly 
murmuring  something  about  God  who  made  them,  or 
do  you  stop  a  while  and  wonder?  When  from  your 
window  you  see  the  leaves  dance  and  the  boughs  wave, 
mysteriously,  magically,  do  you  talk  glibly  of  the  wind, 
or  do  you  stop  talking  entirely  for  an  instant,  and  just 
wonder?  When  your  thoughts  have  been  turned  to  the 
night-time,  and  the  children  have  told  tales  of  the  starry 
heavens,  do  you  make  use  as  worship  of  that  child  wonder- 
verse, — 

"Twinkle,  twinkle,  little  star, 
How  I  wonder  what  you   are, 
Up  above  the  world  so  high, 
Like  a  diamond  in  the  sky!" 

When  your  children,  to  those  prayers  that  are  spoken 
and  sung,  both  spontaneous  and  formal,  have  added  the 
worship  of  wonder,  then  have  they  truly  communicated 
with  their  heavenly  Father. 

[82] 


THE    CIRCLE   TALK 

Expression  through  the  Hand 

Again,  take  the  matter  of  hand-work — if  such  little 
children's  crude  drawing  or  coloring  can  be  dignified  by 
such  a  term.  Has  this  any  legitimate  function  in  Sunday 
school  if  it  is  not  self-expression?  Are  we  teaching  our 
children  here  to  be  artists  or  craftsmen  of  any  sort?  Is 
there  the  time  for  this?  the  need? 

The  reason  a  teacher  who  understands  little  children 
occasionally  suggests  a  use  of  crayon  and  blackboard  or 
paper  is  not  alone  to  vary  monotony  and  thus  reawaken 
interest,  but  to  afiford  fingers  the  opportunity  of  which 
lips  often  are  incapable.  For  self-expression  is  such  a 
necessary  part  of  a  child's  development,  and  the  vocabu- 
lary is  so  limited  and  words  so  difficult  for  shy  lips  to 
form  that  the  problem  is  frequently  solved  by  hand-work. 
The  blue  blur  is  the  flower  which  makes  the  child  glad, 
the  straight  mark  the  stick  which  David  used  to  protect 
his  sheep,  the  tiny  dots  the  crumbs  with  which  the  child 
fed  the  birds,  the  yellow  crosses  God's  stars  that  keep 
watch  when  a  child  sleeps,  the  green  marks  God's  carpet 
for  the  earth,  on  which  his  beasts  feed. 

By  no  means  put  this  part  of  the  circle  talk  under  the 
heading  Instruction,  or  show  approbation  or  disap- 
proval of  the  little  child's  manner  of  expressing  his 
thought,  but  lay  your  emphasis  upon  the  thought  ex- 
pressed. 

The  Use  of  Pictures 

We  may  test  the  efficacy  of  our  methods  in  a  similar 
way  by  our  use  of  pictures.  They  are  often  necessary 
as  instruction,  for  giving  a  clear  mental  picture  of  sheep, 
of  birds,  of  trees,  and  of  story  incidents.     They  should 

[83] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

also  be  made  so  interesting  and  so  full  of  meaning  that 
they  may  be  a  delightful  aid  to  the  little  child's  power  of 
expressing  himself. 

"Find  all  the  pictures  of  kind  people,"  says  the  teacher, 
and  the  children  show  w^hat  impression  of  kindness  thev 
have  received  by  touching  the  good  shepherd,  the  good 
Samaritan,  and  possibly  the  mother  in  the  Sistine  Ma- 
donna. 

"Touch  pictures  of  creatures  and  things  the  heavenly 
Father  takes  care  of,"  she  suggests  again,  and  the  children 
pick  out  animal  and  bird  and  flower  pictures,  and  even 
discover  these  things  as  details  of  Bible  story  pictures. 

"I  wonder  who  can  find  me  a  picture  about  the  verse 
*Let  us  love  one  another,'  "  she  asks,  and  the  pictures 
illustrating  helpful  love  are  chosen. 

The  crux  of  the  whole  matter  is  this — to  develop  not 
inform,  to  draw  out  not  pour  in,  and  thus  give  to  the 
child  his  opportunity  to  grow  naturally. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  What  do  you  mean  by  "atmosphere"  and  how  is  it 
obtained? 

2.  Write  out  your  ideal  of  a  little  child's  worship. 

3.  Give  some  illustration  of  spontaneous  prayer  on  the  chil- 
dren's part  and  of  a  prayer  so  taught  as  to  be  real  self-expression. 

4.  Illustrate  how  hand-work  has  a  legitimate  place  in  the 
Sunday  school. 

5.  How  may  pictures  be  an  aid  to  self-expression? 

6.  Discuss  similarly  any  other  element  of  the  circle  talk  you 
may  have  in  mind. 


[84] 


LESSON  XIV 

Practise   in  Conducting  the  Circle  Talk 

They  found  him  in  the  temple,  sitting  in  the  midst  of 
the  teachers,  both  hearing  them,  and  asking  them  ques- 
tions.— The  Gospel  according  to  Luke 

Its  Possibilities 

A  teacher  of  Beginners  once  said,  "It  is  the  circle  talk 
that  I  find  difficult.  When  I  get  to  the  story,  I  feel  so 
safe." 

Why  was  this?  Simply  because  during  the  story- 
telling the  teacher  has  the  floor  and  can  discourage 
interruptions.  In  the  circle  talk,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  children's  chance  remarks,  their  comments  and 
questions  are  not  looked  upon  at  all  in  the  light  of  inter- 
ruptions. Indeed,  they  are  a  definite  part  of  the  program, 
and  the  failure  of  a  teacher  to  induce  such  confidences 
from  her  class  is  as  great  as  to  tell  the  story  poorly,  or  to 
conduct  a  session  destitute  of  worship. 

To  meet  such  remarks  wisely  and  effectively  is  not  easy. 
One  may  definitely  prepare  the  story,  but,  except  in  its 
general  trend,  the  circle  talk  must  ever  be  an  unknown 
quantity.  What  staggering  questions  will  our  children 
ask?  What  frank  bits  of  new^s  from  their  world,  the 
home,  will  they  divulge?  What  unexpected  comments 
will  they  make  upon  the  story  or  our  statements?     What 

[85] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

malapropos  remarks  may  they  venture?  The  circle  talk 
is  as  much  more  difficult  than  the  story  for  most  teachers 
as  is  the  open  debate  than  the  studied  speech. 

Is  this  discouraging?  Not  so,  except  to  very  faint 
hearts,  but  rather  stimulating.  The  most  highly  civilized 
nations  of  the  world  have  made  conversation  a  fine  art, 
and  become  skilled  in  repartee.  What  finer  art  can  a 
teacher  of  little  children  cultivate  than  the  satisfying  one 
of  meeting  their  confidences  with  loving  sympathy,  their 
questions  with  thoughtful  answers,  their  naive  comments 
with  wise  tact,  and  their  bits  of  news  with  respectful 
attention?  Such  a  teacher  will  find  abundant  reward  in 
the  wider  opening  of  that  door  of  communication  between 
her  and  the  children,  which  spells  friendship,  and  a  still 
finer  satisfaction  in  the  disclosures  such  free  expression 
reveals  of  the  real  feelings  and  opinions  she  has  been  able 
to  induce  through  her  teaching. 

A  question  occurs  right  here.  Should  these  communi- 
cations simply  be  accepted  as  confidences,  to  establish  an 
intimacy  between  teacher  and  children,  and  as  indications 
of  the  efficacy  of  the  teaching  they  have  received,  or  can 
they  be  further  utilized? 

In  one  of  our  first  lessons  we  quoted  Dr.  George 
Dawson  as  saying,  ''Everything  in  a  child's  surroundings 
should  be  interpreted  religiously."  Here,  then,  is  our 
great  opportunity  to  accomplish  this.  The  interests  and 
incidents  of  the  children's  lives,  brought  to  us  informally, 
may  often  be  related  to  the  lesson  of  the  day.  They  may 
frequently  be  illustrated  by  a  song  or  a  Bible  verse. 
They  may  suggest  an  explanatory  blackboard  drawing. 
They  may  lead  to  prayer.  In  other  words,  they  may  be 
''interpreted  religiously." 

[86] 


CONDUCTING  THE   CIRCLE  TALK 

The  Secret  of  Success 

Does  this  freedom  on  the  children's  part  suggest  to 
your  mind  pandemonium,  an  unregulated  buzz  of  conver- 
sation? Surely  not  that.  It  is  simple  to  request  one 
child  to  wait  for  another  to  say  what  he  wishes.  Does  it 
suggest  desultory  talk  on  any  subject  whatever,  entirely 
without  sequence  or  connection?  From  this  one  might 
gain  intimacy  but  hardly  education.  Without  doubt 
there  will  be  many  an  irrelevant  remark,  inappropriate 
question  and  recital  of  incidents  impossible  to  relate  to  the 
subject  at  hand.  It  lies  with  the  teacher  to  perceive  both 
when  this  is  so  and  when  a  connection  is  possible.  It 
lies  with  her  to  discern  between  the  confidence  that  may 
be  interpreted  by  a  song  or  a  word,  and  that  which  should 
be  merely  received  sympathetically;  between  the  remark 
which  should  be  passed  over  and  that  which  will  inten- 
sify the  thought  of  the  day,  or  the  child's  religious  feel- 
ing; between  the  question  that  demands  a  thoughtful 
answer  and  that  which  is  not  worthy  serious  attention. 

The  teacher  who  is  in  close  sympathy  with  her  children 
will  gain  their  confidences,  and  if  she  is  also  filled  with  the 
lesson  theme,  she  will  be  quick  to  catch  any  connection 
between  it  and  their  chance  remarks.  Then,  too,  she 
will  be  adept  in  guiding  the  conversation  into  a  channel 
that  will  illustrate  this  theme. 

Nor  will  she  limit  her  "interpretations"  entirely  to  the 
present  theme,  for  surely  a  child  may  be  thankful  as  well 
as  inspired  to  generosity  at  Christmas,  and  a  reference 
to  clothes  or  food  should  deepen  his  sense  of  the 
heavenly  Father's  care,  in  the  spring  as  well  as  when  that 
subject  was  particularly  impressed.  Remarks  that  illus- 
trate past  as  well  as  present  themes  are  valuable,  always 

[87] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

remembering  that  the  chief  object  is  to  make  clear  the 
theme  of  the  day. 

Practise  Work 

Nor  must  a  teacher  rely  too  much  upon  her  sympathy 
and  quick-wittedness  at  the  moment.  She  may  gain  by 
practise  in  conducting  the  circle  talk  as  in  story-telling. 

Suppose  we  play  a  kind  of  game.  We  will  write  one 
of  the  themes  where  all  can  see  it.  A  member  of  the  class 
may  make  a  natural  child's  remark,  and  select  another 
member  to  meet  the  remark  as  a  teacher  should — pay  little 
attention  to  it,  briefly  comment  upon  it,  or  relate  it  to  the 
theme.  Then  will  follow  an  open  discussion  as  to  the 
wisdom  of  the  method  used  and  possible  suggestions  for 
one  that  is  better.  Whoever  makes  such  a  suggestion 
will  next  give  a  typical  child's  remark  or  ask  a  question 
or  offer  a  confidence,  and  this  will  be  responded  to  in  like 
fashion.  Any  so-called  child's  remark  that  is  not  actually 
childlike  will  be  ruled  out.^ 

Take  first  the  theme,  The  Heavenly  Father's  Care. 
Suppose  a  child  says,  "See  my  new  suit!"  Isn't  this  a 
remark  to  be  hushed  up,  lest  he  become  unduly  fond  of 
clothes?  Can  it  have  any  possible  connection  with  the 
theme?  Surely  it  can — a  very  real  one.  The  new  suit 
may  be  "interpreted  religiously."  Instead  of,  "Hush, 
hush,  my  dear,  do  not  talk  about  your  clothes!"  the  under- 
standing teacher  will  say  something  like  this — "I  am  so 
glad  you  have  such  a  warm,  pretty,  new  suit.       Who 

*This  method  has  been  used  successfully,  and  given  in- 
experienced teachers  a  clearer  idea  of  informal,  inductive  teach- 
ing than  would  be  possible  in  any  other  way,  except  by  visit- 
ing a  Beginners'  class  session.    A  suggestive  discussion  follows. 

[88] 


CONDUCTING  THE   CIRCLE  TALK 

gave  ft  to  you?  Did  you  know  that  your  father  could 
not  have  given  you  your  suit,  except  for  an  animal  that 
wore  it  first?  Yes,  a  woolly  sheep.  And  do  you  know 
who  made  the  coat  for  the  woolly  sheep  and  for  you? 
Yes,  the  heavenly  Father.  'He  careth  for  you.'  "  And 
most  natural  after  this  will  be  the  suggestion  by  a  child 
of  the  song,  "He  Cares  for  Me."  Thus  the  theme  of 
the  day  will  be  introduced  or  continued  through  a  little 
child's  casual  remark,  and  he  will  be  helped  to  see  the 
loving  care  behind  his  clothes. 

Suppose,  instead,  a  child  starts  to  relate  in  all  its  details 
some  catastrophe  he  has  witnessed  on  his  way  to  Sunday 
school — such  as  a  dog  run  over  by  a  car.  Isn't  this  one 
of  the  confidences  to  be  nipped  in  the  bud,  that  he  may  not 
impose  his  feeling  of  horror  upon  the  entire  group?  If 
you  feel  that  the  confidence  will  be  somewhat  assuaged 
by  sharing  it,  as  is  often  the  case  w^ith  children,  let  him 
tell  you  after  Sunday  school,  or  an  assistant  may  take  him 
aside  to  listen  to  the  tale  and  help  him  to  forget  it. 

Suppose,  still  again,  a  child  comes  across  the  circle  to 
say  eagerly,  "My  grandma  has  come  to  see  me."  Shall 
you  attempt  to  relate  such  a  bit  of  home  news  to  the 
theme  ?  Wouldn't  such  an  attempt  be  rather  far-fetched  ? 
It  seems  to  me  the  natural  response  will  be,  "How  lovely! 
A  visit  from  a  grandma  is  one  of  the  nicest  things  that 
can  happen."  It  will  perhaps  be  spontaneous  to  include 
in  a  prayer  you  make  later  about  being  glad  for  various 
things  the  children  have  mentioned  "and  for  visits  from 
grandmothers  and  people  we  love." 

Take  now  the  theme  Children  Helping.  Children 
respond  well  to  your  questions  as  to  how  they  help  at 
home,  but  in  the  midst  of  recitals  of  dishes  wiped,  errands 

[89] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

done  and  chairs  dusted,  a  young  child  may  look  at  you 
fixedly  and  remark,  "You've  got  on  a  new  hat."  Can  this 
possibly  be  connected  with  the  subject?  Will  you,  then, 
treat  the  small  interrupter  like  a  culprit?  Will  you  not 
rather  say,  ''Yes,  and  I  like  to  have  new  things,  don't 
you?"  and  then  continue  with  your  talk.  Suppose,  in- 
stead, a  child  says,  equally  irrelevantly,  "My  mother 
won't  let  me  eat  candy."  Isn't  this  an  opportunity  to 
show  that  obedience  is  a  very  good  way  of  helping?  And 
then,  perhaps,  say  you  know  a  song  about  the  kind  of 
helpful  child  that  minds  and  dusts  and  goes  on  errands 
with  a  happy  face,  and  sing, — 

"Happy  as  a  robin, 

Gentle  as  a  dove, — 
That's  the  sort  of  little  child 
Every  one  will  love." 

The  charm  of  the  circle  talk  comes  from  weaving  to- 
gether remark,  song,  story  review,  Bible  verse,  prayer 
and  question  into  a  connected  whole,  one  thing  explain- 
ing and  complementing  another,  so  that  the  theme  never 
becomes  tedious,  being  impressed  in  such  a  variety  of  ways, 
and  the  children's  thoughts  are  regarded  and  interpreted. 

QUESTIONS    FOR   DISCUSSION,    REPORTS    OR    PAPERS 

1.  Explain  In  what  lies  the  difficulty  of  the  circle  talk. 

2.  Give  your  idea  of  its  charm  and  possibility. 

3.  What  attitude  and  spirit  on  the  teacher's  part  will  lead 
to  success? 

4.  Mention  two  natural  remarks  of  children,  one  of  which 
may  be  related  to  the  theme,  Love  Shown  by  Kindness,  the 
other  having  no  relation,  and  describe  your  manner  of  meeting 
them. 

5.  Do  a  similar  thing  in  connection  with  the  theme,  Friendly 
Helpers. 

6.  Outline  a  suggestive  circle  talk  on  any  theme  you  may 
choose. 

[90] 


LESSON  XV 

Building  the  Program — The  Remaining  Parts 

^^Genius  is  the  capacity  for  taking  pains" 

The  Greetings  and  Opening  Music 

We  have  spoken  of  the  two  very  Important  parts  of 
the  program,  the  story  period  and  the  circle  talk.  If  we 
allow  twenty  minutes  for  the  circle  talk  and  fifteen  min- 
utes for  the  story  period,  v/e  have  twenty-five  minutes 
left.  How  shall  we  fill  this  time  most  profitably?  Tell 
me  rapidly  things  3'OU  have  noticed  in  the  program  and 
we  will  consider  which  are  essential  and  which  non- 
essential.^ 

First  of  all,  what  is  natural  at  the  very  beginning  of  the 
session?  Is  it  enough  for  the  teacher  to  greet  the  chil- 
dren as  they  enter  the  room?  Shouldn't  they  greet  each 
other  as  well?  Does  this  do  away  with  any  formality? 
What  kind  of  an  atmosphere  does  it  induce?  Does  it 
accomplish  anything  toward  allaying  the  lonely  feeling  of 
the  shy  children  present  for  the  first  time?  Would  you 
single  out  such  a  child  to  be  greeted?  Why  not?  Should 
the  greeting  song  be  very  simple,  one  that  can  be  picked 

*  The  unimportant  as  well  as  the  important  parts  should  be 
considered,  the  class  deciding  which  are  superfluous  and  which 
necessary.  Always  remember  that  you  are  the  class  leader, 
not  its  dictator.  The  above  discussion  is,  of  course,  merely 
tj'pical. 

[91] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

up  readily  without  formal  teaching?  What  is  the  sim- 
plest one  you  know? 

Do  you  ever  ask  two  or  three  children  to  go  about  the 
circle  shaking  hands,  and  looking  into  each  other's  eyes, 
while  the  greeting  song  is  sung?  Do  you  think  that 
every  absent  child  should  be  mentioned  each  Sunday? 
that  those  who  were  absent  the  Sunday  before  should  be 
sung  to,  individually  or  collectively? 

Can  we  afford  to  spend  a  long  time  in  this  greeting? 
Have  you  ever  seen  it  dragged  out  to  such  length  that 
it  lost  its  effectiveness  ?  Let  it  be  hearty  and  spontaneous 
and  it  need  not  take  many  minutes.  If  it  is  perfunctory 
with  us,  it  will  be  with  our  children.  Unless  we  as 
teachers  infuse  into  the  simple  song,  so  often  repeated,  an 
enthusiastic  warm-heartedness,  it  will  degenerate  into 
a  monotonous,  stereotyped  thing.  The  greeting  is  actually 
a  test  of  our  real  fondness  for  the  children  and  gladness 
to  see  them.  Might  it  occasionally  be  seasonal,  as  at 
the  New  Year,  Christmas  and  Easter? 

But  is  a  circle  of  active  little  children  usually  in  a  con- 
dition for  a  regulated  greeting?  What  are  these  chil- 
dren apt  to  be  doing  before  the  beginning  of  the  session? 
Even  if  they  are  in  their  chairs,  are  they  sitting  motion- 
less? Will  it  need  considerable  "calling  to  order,"  if  we 
take  that  method  of  notifying  them  that  Sunday  school 
has  begun?  Is  there  a  better  method  of  doing  this? 
And  anyway  is  your  sole  object  calling  to  order?  At 
this  very  beginning  an  atmosphere  may  be  induced  and  the 
keynote  for  the  hour  struck.  How?  Yes,  very  effectively 
and  satisfactorily  by  opening  music,  usually  termed 
"quiet  music."  What  will  this  do  as  regards  discipline? 
the  children's  feelings? 

[92] 


THE   REMAINING   PARTS 

What  character  of  music  should  be  used?  May  it 
accomplish  more  than  merely  producing  a  good  atmos- 
phere and  orderly  behavior?  When  a  new  tune  is  played, 
it  is  in  this  way  made  familiar.  Should  such  music  al- 
ways be  quiet?  Think  of  a  sultry,  lifeless  day,  and  a 
circle  of  tired,  dull  children.  What  kind  of  opening 
music  would  you  use  then? 

Let  us  set  aside  the  first  five  minutes  for  the  open- 
ing music  and  greeting. 

Birthday  and  Cradle  Roll  Services 

There  is  a  certain  very  important  event  in  a  child's  life 
that  we  must  not  lose  sight  of  in  Sunday  school.  Next  to 
Christmas,  to  what  day  do  most  children  look  forward? 
A  birthday  is  a  red-letter  day  in  a  child's  year,  for  it  is 
usually  celebrated  at  home  in  some  fashion,  and  it  marks 
an  advance  toward  the  delectable  state  of  being  grown-up. 
The  feeling  that  has  prompted  its  observance  in  the 
Sunday  school  is  an  excellent  feeling,  though  its  observ- 
ance has  frequently  been  ill-advised.  Describe  to  me 
birthday  celebrations  you  have  observed  and  criticize 
them. 

Is  it  necessary  or  desirable  that  we  pattern  our  Sunday- 
school  birthday  recognition  after  home  birthday  celebra- 
tions? Why  not  leave  the  birthday  cake  for  the  home  in- 
stead of  supplying  a  dubious  imitation  in  wood,  on  which 
dust  collects  and,  in  summer,  candles  droop  piteously?  As 
pleasing  to  the  birthday  child  and  far  more  appropriate  is 
a  special  chair  in  which  he  sits.  It  may  be  a  chair  differ- 
ent from  the  others  or  one  decorated  with  a  bow  of  bright 
ribbon,  and  the  honor  of  occupying  it  has  the  added 
advantage  of  taking  none  of  our  precious  moments.     How 

[93] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

much  time  can  we  afford  to  spend  in  a  birthday  recogni- 
tion? Is  there  need  of  a  special  birthday  song?  prayer? 
Let  us  never  forget  that  simplicity  and  brevity,  w^here 
there  is  genuine  feeling,  are  more  effective  than  long, 
elaborate  exercises. 

Should  the  Cradle  Roll  have  any  connection  with  the 
Beginners'  department,  and  should  it  be  noticed  in  the  pro- 
gram? Have  Vv^e  the  time  or  the  need  for  a  lengthy  serv- 
ice of  admission  to  the  Cradle  Roll  ?  Need  the  Cradle  Roll 
be  mentioned  each  Sunday  ?  Isn't  it  possible  on  a  Sunday 
when  a  number  of  birthdays  need  to  be  recognized  to 
postpone  admitting  a  Cradle  Roll  baby  till  the  following 
Sunday? 

Opening  Prayer  and  Offering 

Should  there  be  prayer  early  in  the  hour — a  recognition 
of  God's  presence?  It  seems  natural,  indeed,  necessary 
for  a  truly  spiritual  teacher  to  speak  to  the  heavenly 
Father,  as  she  and  the  children  have  spoken  to  each  other. 
This  prayer  may  occupy  a  special  place  in  the  program 
and  yet  be  sincere,  if  it  is  a  real  prayer  on  the  teacher's 
part  and  suggested  sympathetically  to  the  children.  After 
a  time  they  will  grow  so  accustomed  to  it  that  they  will 
often  suggest  speaking  to  the  heavenly  Father. 

Do  most  children  bring  an  offering?  For  what  is 
it  desirable  that  the  money  should  go — for  the  purchase  of 
supplies  or  for  some  charitable  object?  If  the  latter, 
should  the  children  know  anything  about  the  object,  that 
is,  should  they  be  given  a  detailed  account  of  a  mission 
field?  Is  there  time?  the  necessity?  Is  it  sufKcient  simply 
to  say  that  the  money  is  for  some  of  God's  poor  people? 
Is  there  any  special  time  of  year  when  the  offering  should 

[94] 


THE   REMAINING   PARTS 

be  made  a  very  prominent  part  of  the  program?  How 
about  Christmas?  Name  various  methods  of  taking  up 
the  ofEering,  and  let  us  decide  upon  the  most  practical. 
Do  you  advocate  a  lengthy  offering  service?  Isn't  five 
minutes  ample  for  either  cradle  roll  or  birthday  service, 
opening  prayer  and  offering? 

The  Order  of  the  Program 

After  this  w^ill  naturally  come  the  circle  talk,  lasting 
for  about  twenty  minutes.  Or  will  the  story  come  best 
before  the  circle  talk?  It  seems  natural,  doesn't 
it,  to  have  the  review  of  the  last  story  and  the  conversa- 
tion in  regard  to  its  truth  before  the  new  story?  Isn't  it 
best  to  listen  to  the  children's  confidences  early,  rather 
than  late  in  the  hour?  Sometimes  they  cannot  wait 
even  till  the  circle  talk  to  tell  the  news  they  are  full  of. 
And  then,  the  program  should  be  so  planned  as  to  work 
up  to  a  climax — that  climax  the  story,  with  its  response 
of  feeling. 

Between  the  circle  talk  and  the  story  period  what  is 
needed,  that  the  children  may  attend  well  to  the  story? 
Surely  three  or  five  minutes  for  moving  about  and  resting 
cramped  bodies. 

After  the  story  period  there  should  be  an  orderly  dis- 
missal. This  will  be  best  effected  by  putting  on  the 
WTaps  before  the  good-bye  song  is  sung.  If,  however, 
there  are  mothers  to  attend  to  the  wraps,  or  if  the  room 
opens  directly  upon  the  street,  the  good-bye  song  may  be 
sung  and  the  folders  distributed  before  the  slight  disorder 
of  getting  the  children  ready  for  outdoors. 

The  following,  then,  is  the  program  as  we  have  out- 

[95] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

lined  it,  the  program  that  is  to  make  possible,  and  not 
destroy  freedom. 


Quiet  Music  and  Greeting 5  mmutes 

Birthday  or  Cradle  Roll  Service 

Opening  Prayer •    5  minutes 

Offering    Service   

Circle   Talk 20  minutes 

Rest    Period  5  minutes 

Story  Period 15  minutes 

Putting  on  Wraps 

Good-bye  Song >  10  minutes 

Distribution  of  Folders 

60  minutes 
Dismissal 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Give  your  ideal  for  the  greeting. 

2.  Bring     examples    of    effective     opening     music    and     tell 
where  found. 

3.  Write  out  effective  plans  for  birthday  and   Cradle  Roll 
recognition. 

4.  Tell  your  opinion  as  to   the   object  of  offerings  and   an 
appropriate  service. 

5.  Outline  a  program,  with  reasons  for  the  order. 

6.  Come  prepared  to  carry  out  an  entire  program,  choosing 
your  lesson. 


[96] 


LESSON  XVI 

The  Importance  of  Music 

All  the  music  that  we  hear. 
Listening  with  the  outward  ear. 
Would  be  powerless  to  win  us, 
'     If  there  lived  not  deep  within  us 
Its  innate  idea. 

— Friedrich  Froehel 
Its  Double  Function 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  Beginners'  session  without 
music?  Why  is  music  used  so  universally?  It  has 
two  functions — its  effect  upon  the  children  and  its  use  as 
self-expression. 

What  effect  has  martial  music  upon  soldiers?  a  lullaby 
upon  a  baby?  Mention  other  instances  of  music's  won- 
derful influence.  Give  illustrations  of  music  that  has 
made  a  special  appeal  to  your  children.  There  is  the 
music  at  the  beginning  of  the  program,  which  has  power 
to  create  an  atmosphere  for  the  hour — the  reverent  hymn 
that  induces  worship,  or  the  cheery  tune  that  dispels  dull- 
ness and  inertia.  What  a  challenge  is  the  brisk  march  to 
leave  the  room  in  good  order!  What  an  awakening  of 
the  spirit  of  hearty  greeting  the  well-known  notes  of  the 
welcome  song!  Have  you  utilized  music  in  this  way 
all  that  is  possible? 

Then  there  are  the  songs  which  afford  a  means  of  self- 

[97] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

expression.  If  the  tunes  of  such  songs  are  adapted  to 
the  words,  and  if  the  words  are  simple  and  childlike,  and 
have  been  so  taught  as  to  be  full  of  meaning,  the  play- 
ing of  the  tune  will  seem  to  say  to  the  children,  "Come 
and  sing  me!     Here's  something  you  want  to  sing!" 

So,  in  our  use  of  music,  let  us  think  of  its  double  prov- 
ince, and  not  limit  ourselves  to  a  single  function. 

Its  duality 

There  is  something  else  to  be  thought  of  beside  the 
type  of  music  we  use,  and  that  is  its  quality.  Quiet 
music  may  be  a  trifling  air  played  softly  or  it  may  be  a 
succession  of  delicate,  harmonious  chords.  A  march  may 
be  rag-time,  or  one  equally  easy  to  march  by,  and  yet 
high  grade.  Music  must  be  of  a  worshipful  character 
in  order  to  inspire  to  prayer.  Of  all  places  Sunday  school 
ought  to  be  one  in  which  children's  ears  grow  accustomed 
to  the  finest  music,  and  the  Beginners'  department  should 
set  the  standard. 

As  to  songs,  what  is  a  necessary  qualification,  if  little 
children  are  to  sing  them  at  all?  In  your  opinion  does 
simplicity  mean  inferiority?  They  must  not  only  be 
easy  to  learn  but  so  attractive  that  the  children  will  wish 
to  learn  them.  Rhythm  is  essential  and  that  does  not 
in  the  least  mean  two-step  or  cheap  waltz  time.  Melodies 
that  w^ill  sing  themselves  in  the  child's  head  and  insist  on 
being  hummed  are  what  we  want,  and  are  in  no  way 
inconsistent  with  high-grade  music.  Many  folk-song  mel- 
odies and  airs  from  classics  are  childlike,  simple  and 
alluring. 

As  to  the  words,  let  the  same  rule  hold.  Shall  we 
teach  words  so  beyond  the  comprehension  of  the  children 

[98] 


THE   IMPORTANCE  OF  MUSIC 

that  they  cannot  be  used  as  the  expression  of  their 
thoughts?  Shall  we,  on  the  other  hand,  fill  their  minds 
with  trivial  words  or  trash,  their  one  recommendation 
being  their  simplicit}^?  Mention  examples  of  both  kinds. 
Which  is  preferable  ?  Can  j^ou  repeat  a  song  that  is  both 
simple  in  thought  and  word  and  also  good  literature? 
How  about  some  of  Robert  Louis  Stevenson's  poems? 
Christina  Rossetti's? 

Selection  of  Songs 

We  must  remember  that  little  children  cannot  learn 
many  songs,  and  therefore  plan  very  carefully  our  year's 
program,  so  that  the  songs  cover  and  yet  do  not  unneces- 
sarily duplicate  the  truths  taught.  One  Christmas  song 
well-known,  and  therefore  well-beloved,  is  far  better 
than  several  that  can  be  but  half-learned.  If  we  want  a 
song  that  expresses  the  love  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  "Jesus 
Loves  Me"  is  both  time-honored,  appealing  to  children, 
and  so  simple  that  the  smallest  child  can  pick  up  at  least 
the  refrain.  It  is  appropriate  and  inspiring  with  all  the 
stories  of  Jesus.  The  Bible  verses  that  are  used  with  the 
lessons,  when  set  to  music,  may  make  a  delightful  combina- 
tion of  valuable  words  and  simple  tunes.  Not  more  than 
one  seasonal  song  is  advisable,  and  a  single  verse  of  a  song 
is  usually  enough.  Occasionally,  in  a  long  song,  such  as 
**Can  a  Little  Child  Like  Me,"  the  teacher  may  sing  the 
verse  and  the  children  join  in  the  refrain — in  this  case 
a  prayer.  Frequently  a  song  may  be  sung  to  the  children 
by  the  teacher.  This  is  a  pleasant  change  from  continu- 
ous talking,  and  no  teacher  need  be  a  professional  singer 
in  order  to  be  quite  acceptable  to  her  small  audience. 
This  gives  an  opportunity  for  a  good  many  more  songs 

[99] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

to  be  enjoyed  than  can  possibly  be  learned  by  the  children. 
Often  one  tune,  such  as  that  of  ''Good  Morning  to  You," 
may  be  used  with  a  slight  change  of  words  for  Christmas, 
New  Year  and  birthday  greetings,  to  save  learning  a  new 
tune. 

In  the  teachers'  text-books  of  some  Beginners'  courses, 
notably  the  International,  a  program  of  songs  is  given,  the 
words  of  many  of  them  being  printed  on  the  child's  folder, 
to  facilitate  their  use  at  home.  A  caution  is  needed  right 
here  against  following  any  such  schedule  absolutely,  for 
adaptations  must  always  be  made  to  one's  own  particular 
children.  Any  such  program  naturally  takes  into  consid- 
eration the  fact  that,  except  in  departments  newly  formed, 
a  part  of  the  children  will  remember  more  or  less  well 
the  songs  of  the  previous  year. 

In  our  selection  of  songs,  then,  let  us  test  each  one  thus: 
What  appeal  does  it  make  to  little  children?  Will  the 
words  awaken  thought  or  serve  as  self-expression?  Have 
they  literary  merit  as  well  as  the  quality  of  simplicity? 
Is  the  music  high-class  and  yet  attractive  and  singable? 
Is  this  a  necessary  song  or  does  it  duplicate  a  thought? 
Is  one  verse  sufficient?  How  can  I  secure  the  use  of 
this  song  at  home  as  well  as  in  Sunday  school?  With 
what  other  lessons  besides  this  particular  one  will  it  be 
appropriate?  If  it  is  hardly  worth  the  effort  of  being 
learned,  will  the  refrain  be  sufficient?  or  shall  I  sing  it 
all  to  the  children? 

Tlie  Use  of  Songs 

Having  spoken  now  of  the  function  of  music  and  rules 
governing  the  selection  of  songs,  and  in  our  lesson  on  the 
circle  talk  considering  quite   at   length   the  sympathetic 

[  100  ] 


THE   IMPORTANCE   OF   MUSIC 

teaching  of  songs,  that  they  may  be  sung  understandingly, 
suppose  we  spend  the  remainder  of  this  class  in  thinking 
about  the  use  of  songs.  For  it  is  frequently  the  case  in 
all  our  teaching  that  we  fail  signally  to  make  the  most 
of  what  we  have  taught.  We  study  to  tell  our  stories 
well  and  have  them  retold,  but  then  consider  our  task  at 
an  end.  We  teach  Bible  verses  so  that  they  are  recited 
intelligently,  when  w^e  drop  them  as  things  learned 
and  therefore  finished  with.  When  a  song  is  learned  and 
sung  at  the  appropriate  time,  we  are  too  apt  to  leave  it. 
Most  of  us  have  not  caught  the  vision  of  the  use  we  can 
make  of  old  stories,  familiar  Bible  verses  and  beloved 
songs,  thus  deepening  their  impression  a  hundred  fold. 
The  more  little  children  use  the  few  songs  they  know, 
the  better  they  love  them  and  the  more  spirit  they  put  into 
them.  This  does  not  mean  that  spring  songs  should  be 
sung  when  snow  is  flying,  and  the  New  Year  welcome 
when  the  year  is  ncaring  an  end,  but  that  songs  not  strictly 
seasonal  will  bear  frequent  use  and  gain  instead  of  lose 
through  repetition. 

A  Means  of  Emphasizing  the  Thought 

Sometimes  It  is  well  to  sing  just  for  the  pure  love  of 
singing — song  after  song  that  the  children  choose.  Some- 
times w^e  suggest  the  song  that  fits  the  thought,  or  im- 
presses our  teaching.  And  most  often  the  song  forms  a 
part  of  the  continuous  sequence  of  thought  our  session 
claims  to  have — chosen  now  by  a  child,  now  by  the 
teacher,  illustrating  a  picture,  introducing  a  story,  making 
clear  a  Bible  verse — so  fitting  into  thought  and  feeling  as 
to  assist  in  making  the  program  a  unit.  Do  we  feel  the 
desire  to  worship?     We  have  prayers  that  are  sung  as 

[  lOI  ] 


LESSONS   FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

well  as  spoken.  Are  our  hearts  filled  with  love  of  Jesus, 
the  children's  friend?  What  more  appropriate  expres- 
sion of  our  feelings  than  the  well-beloved  "Jesus  Loves 
Me"!  Does  the  outdoor  world  make  a  strong  appeal? 
There  are  the  songs  of  the  season.  Is  Christmas  or 
Thanksgiving  absorbing  our  thoughts?  It  is  time  for 
a  festival  song.  Have  we  received  an  impulse  toward 
kindness  or  helpfulness  or  loving  obedience?  This  im- 
pulse is  wonderfully  strengthened  by  a  song  bringing  out 
the  same  idea. 

The  way  songs  are  chosen  adds  much  to  the  children's 
interest  in  them.  Tell  methods  you  have  used  successfully. 
The  element  of  mystery  and  surprise  Is  always  fascinating. 
"We  will  shut  our  eyes  and  when  we  open  them  Ruth 
will  be  standing  by  the  picture  that  makes  her  think  of 
a  song,"  we  say.  "We  will  play  be  asleep,  while  John 
whispers  a  song  to  the  pianist,  and  we  will  not  wake  up 
till  we  know  from  the  tune  what  song  it  is."  "Harry 
will  draw  something  on  the  board  that  will  help  us  to 
guess  the  song  he  wants."  Such  methods  add  variety 
and  interest. 

A  Means  of  Self-Expression 

Again,  our  use  of  songs  is  largely  as  self-expression 
and  never  as  an  accomplishment.  There  will  always  be 
the  child  who  is  a  line  behind,  the  child  who  sings  in  a 
monotone,  the  child  who  will  not  sing  at  all.  A  finished 
performance  is  not  possible  with  such  little  children, 
especially  as  we  have  them  but  once  a  week,  but  life, 
interest,  appreciation  and  self-expression  are  possible. 

You  notice  I  have  used  the  pronoun  "we"  instead  of 
"they."     This  is  done  advisedly,  for  unless  we  share  with 

[  102] 


THE   IMPORTANCE  OF   MUSIC 

our  children  their  enthusiasm,  their  feeling  and  their  tbve 
of  singing,  we  are  not  truly  sympathetic.  Our  own 
power  of  entering  into  the  simplest  and  oftenest  repeated 
song  with  abandon,  real  and  not  assumed,  shows  us  tru« 
child  lovers,  sympathetic  guides,  feeling  what  the  chil- 
dren feel  and  sharing  their  spiritual  growth. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR    PAPERS 

1.  What  is  your  idea  of  the  function  of  music? 

2.  Illustrate  your  ideal  of  songs,  both  music  and  words. 

3.  Report  the  best  sources  you  know  for  this  type  of  song. 

4.  Make  out  a  possible  schedule  of  songs  to  be  used  for  a 
quarter  with  the  Beginners'  course  you  are  teaching,  and  bring 
to  the  class  for  criticism. 

5.  Discuss  possibilities  for  the  sympathetic  use  of  songs. 

6.  Come  prepared  to  conduct  a  circle  talk,  bringing  in  tke 
songs  effectively. 


[103] 


LESSON  XVII 

Seeing  and  Touching 

Round-eyed,  quick  to  hear  and  eager  to  touch,  he  is 
busy  absorbing  the  world  about  him. — Luther  A.  Weigle 

Utilizing  More  than  One  Sense 

It  Is  perhaps  hardly  necessary,  in  these  days  when  sense 
training  Is  becoming  such  an  Important  part  of  a  child's 
education,  to  speak  of  the  advantage  of  appealing  to  more 
than  one  sense  In  our  teaching.  However,  do  not  most  of 
us  confine  ourselves  too  closely  to  a  single  sense,  and  that 
Is — ?  By  story,  conversation  and  music  we  appeal  to  the 
sense  of  sound,  largely  to  the  neglect  of  sight  and  touch. 
And  the  response  we  look  for  must  also  be  directed  to  our 
sense  of  hearing — our  children  must  speak  or  sing. 

Now,  it  is  a  fact  that  ear-drums  become  somewhat  lax 
in  sending  messages  to  the  brain  If  they  receive  too  many, 
so  why  not  give  eye  and  hand  a  chance?  For,  In  the  be- 
ginning of  the  child's  development,  eyes  and  inquisitive 
fingers  did  even  more  for  his  education  than  ears,  and  we 
shall  do  him  a  hurt  by  neglecting  to  continue  utilizing 
them. 

Number,  Size  and  Color  of  Pictures 

Possibly,  next  to  songs,  pictures  are  most  generally 
used  in  Beginners'  departments.     In  this  way  the  impor 

[  104] 


SEEING  AND   TOUCHING 

tance  of  an  appeal  to  the  eye  has  been  recognized,  but 
oit^^i,  alas,  indiscriminately.  Some  teachers  seem  to  act 
on  the  principle  that  if  a  thing  is  good,  more  of  it  is 
better.  For  instance,  if  one  picture  is  good,  fifty-two  a 
year  are  better,  and  as  many  more  as  possible  better  still. 
If  a  small  picture  is  good,  a  large  one  is  better,  and  a  very 
large  one  best  of  all.  If  color  attracts  children,  all  pic- 
tures should  be  colored,  and  the  brighter  the  colors  the 
more  attractive  the  pictures. 

Let  us  stop  to  consider  this  matter.  Do  you  think 
there  can  be  such  a  thing  as  too  many  pictures?  Isn't 
this  our  present-day  danger — giving  our  children  a  super- 
fluity of  everything?  What  is  the  effect  upon  them? 
Isn't  it  far  better  for  one  picture  to  become  familiar  and 
w^ell-beloved  than  for  a  great  number  to  be  merely 
glanced  at?  If  two  pictures  illustrate  the  same  thought, 
wouldn't  it  be  well  to  choose  between  them  instead  of 
presenting  both?  Of  course,  where  one  uses  pictures  to 
bring  to  the  children's  minds  several  varieties  of  the  same 
thing — such  as  animals,  flowers  or  vegetables — the  matter 
is  somewhat  different. 

As  to  the  size  of  the  pictures,  is  there  any  possibility 
of  their  being  too  large?  Can  children  be  as  intimate 
with  a  very  large  picture  as  with  one  comparatively 
small?  Will  such  pictures  tend  to  take  away  the 
homelike  atmosphere  of  the  room?  On  the  other  hand, 
are  pictures  so  small  that  they  cannot  be  seen  a  yard  off 
of  very  much  use  in  a  Beginners'  circle? 

In  regard  to  color,  do  you  prefer  all  the  pictures 
colored,  or  do  you  see  any  advantage  in  a  variety — some 
in  black  and  white  or  brown  tints  and  some  colored? 
Might   those   that   are   colored   be  more   distinctive   for 

[105] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

being  comparatively  rare?  Do  you  see  any  argument  in 
having  pictures  portraying  figures  and  action  uncolored, 
while  nature  pictures  of  flowers,  birds  and  trees  are 
colored?  Does  a  horse  need  to  be  colored  to  attract  a 
child's  attention?  a  kitten?  a  squirrel?  How  about  a 
flower?  a  bird?  a  vegetable? 

A  teacher  may  argue  that,  because  children  notice  and 
like  highly-colored  newspaper  supplements  and  other  pic- 
tures of  crude  coloring,  therefore  only  such  will  appeal 
to  them.  What  is  your  opinion  ?  We  owe  their  esthetic 
sense  something,  and  it  is  as  much  a  cheapening  of  reli- 
gion to  associate  it  with  crude  pictures  as  with  inferior 
music. 

Form,  Kind  and  Use  of  Pictures 

Not  alone  the  size  but  the  form  of  the  pictures  is 
important,  if  they  are  to  accomplish  all  that  is  possible. 
The  chief  point  to  remember  in  regard  to  their  form  is 
that  they  be  of  such  shape  the  children  can  easily 
handle  them,  and  that  not  only  the  picture  of  the  day  but 
those  for  a  few  preceding  Sundays  be  in  sight  and  often 
referred  to.  What  form  lends  itself  most  readily  to  this 
necessity  ? 

The  kind  of  story  pictures  to  be  chosen  are,  naturally, 
those  that  depict  events  most  likely  to  interest  children. 
Usually  a  picture  showing  action  is  most  desirable.  Let 
us  examine  critically  pictures  of  different  Beginners' 
courses  and  see  if  they  meet  this  test.  Also  let  us  see  how 
many  emphasize  the  truth  taught.  Is  it  well  to  have 
some  of  the  pictures  of  recognized  artistic  value?     Why? 

The  use  of  pictures  as  a  means  of  self-expression  we 
mentioned  in  our  lesson  on  the  circle  talk.     What  other 

[io6] 


SEEING   AND   TOUCHING 

uses  have  they  in  connection  with  the  story  of  the  day? 
with  preceding  stories?  How  can  they  be  used  in  inter- 
preting Bible  verses?  songs?  as  a  test  of  the  children's 
grasp  of  the  truths  taught?  in  awakening  thought?  as 
an  incentive  to  purposeful  physical  activity?  Can 
they  be  used  in  any  other  way? 

A  Neglected  Sense 

Let  us  turn  our  attention  to  another  sense — one  which 
has  received  too  little  attention  at  our  hands,  and  yet  one 
every  child  makes  use  of  instinctively — the  sense  of  touch. 
We  speak  laughingly  of  the  propensity  of  children  to  "see 
through  their  fingers,"  and  yet  constantly  baffle  the  use 
of  this  sense  by  the  command,  "Don't  touch."  "Being 
good"  in  a  child  means  to  the  average  adult  eyes  and  ears 
on  the  alert,  but  a  tempered  tongue  and  folded  hands, 
unless,  indeed,  they  are  engaged  in  performing  a  legiti- 
mate task — legitimate  being  interpreted  helpful  to  grown- 
ups or,  in  their  eyes,  educational. 

So  in  the  Sunday  school  we  hang  pictures  well  up  out 
of  reach,  show  objects  but  do  not  encourage  handling 
them,  and  thus  deliberately  abandon  that  avenue 
of  knowledge — touch.  Little  fingers  eager  to  stroke  and 
point  out  and  small  hands  formed  for  grasping  and  feel- 
ing are  forbidden  their  part  in  the  wonderful  task  of 
gaining  ideas. 

Shall  we  not  reform  and  allow  fingers  in  our  scheme 
of  education — not  only  as  a  means  of  so-called  "hand- 
work," but  to  touch  and  handle  objects  and  so  learn  about 
them  and  love  them?  Let  us  try  to  remember  the  days 
when  the  floor  was  so  very  much  nearer  than  the  ceiling, 
and  in  an  ordinary  room  the  legs  of  the  furniture  were 

[107] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

better  known  to  us  than  the  backs  or  tops,  when  the  man- 
telpiece was  a  distant  part  of  the  world  and  even  most 
windows  high  peep-holes,  through  which  we  could  only 
look  a-tiptoe.  With  such  remembrances,  in  our  Begin- 
ners' room  we  shall  drop  our  pictures  from  a  place  mid- 
way between  ceiling  and  floor  to  a  level  with  little  chil- 
dren's eyes  and  finger  tips.  We  shall  have  our  black- 
boards low  enough  for  short  people  to  use  easily,  and  any 
objects  will  be  placed  on  a  low  table  in  the  circle. 

Then  the  pictures  may  be  touched  and  the  people  and 
animals  and  flowers  in  them  indicated.  The  shy  child, 
who  will  not  tell  any  of  the  story,  will  delightedly  point 
out  in  last  Sunday's  picture  the  Wise  Men,  the  camels  and 
the  star,  the  shepherd  boy  holding  his  rescued  lamb,  or 
whatever  the  story  characters  may  be.  Some  tiny  child  may 
even  kiss  a  pictured  story  hero  or  animal,  thus  showing 
his  affectionate  interest. 

The  necessity  for  handling  the  objects  used  in  the 
Beginners'  circle  is  easily  seen,  these  almost  in- 
variably being  objects  of  nature.  The  bit  of  lamb's  wool 
or  the  cotton-boll  feels  so  much  softer  than  it  looks. 
Why  not  pass  it  around  so  that  every  child  may  touch  it? 
It  seems  much  more  wonderful  that  the  squirrels  can 
crack  nuts  and  extract  seeds  from  cones,  when  one  has 
felt  just  how  hard  and  stiff  they  are.  The  sea-shell  is 
better  known  for  being  handled,  the  pussy-willow  better 
loved  for  being  stroked,  and  who  that  has  seen  a  child 
sink  his  nose  deep  into  the  sweetness  of  a  flower  and  gen- 
tly finger  its  satin  petals  can  bear  to  say,  "Yes,  pretty 
flower,  but  dont  touch''? 


[io8] 


SEEING   AND   TOUCHING 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  How  is  it  possible  to  overwork  one  of  the  senses  to  the 
neglect  of  the  others? 

2.  Bring  to  the  next  class  pictures  illustrating  good  and  bad 
points  in  size  and  color,  form  and  kind. 

3.  Come   prepared   to   illustrate   the  use  of  pictures   in   any 
way  you  may  choose. 

4.  What  sense   are  we   apt  to  neglect? 

5.  Explain  how  a  rearrangement  of  many  a  Beginners'  room 
is  necessary  if  the  senses  of  sight  and  touch  are  to  be  utilized. 

6.  Give  concrete  examples  of  the  use  of  the  sense  of  touch. 


flOQl 


LESSON  XVIII 

Learning  Through  Doing 

The  spiritual  validity  of  hand-work  is  entirely  a  ques- 
tion of  method. — Milton  S.  Littlefield 

Proper  Perspective 

The  idea  of  hand-work  has  so  caught  the  interest  of 
many  Sunday-school  teachers  that  they  feel  a  session  is 
a  failure  without  it.  The  teachers  of  Beginners  realize 
that  little  children's  abilities  in  this  line  are  limited,  but 
they  are  not  willing  to  appear  so  behind  the  times  as  to 
confess  having  no  hand-work,  and  so  there  is  much 
clamor  for  cards  to  color,  outlined  figures  to  sew,  mate- 
rial for  modeling,  and  the  like.  Money  is  carefully  hus- 
banded that  kindergarten  tables  may  be  purchased, 
specimens  of  hand-work  are  exhibited,  books  of  hand- 
work bound  up,  and  hand-work  bids  fair,  in  the  minds  of 
some  teachers,  to  be  the  criterion  by  which  Sunday-school 
effectiveness  is  tested. 

Probably  the  great  fault  with  us  all  is  lack  of  proper 
perspective.  It  is  so  easy  to  say,  "Here  is  a  good  thing. 
Let  us  bring  it  into  the  foreground";  and  shove  back  to 
the  dim  distance  others  that  should  be  prominent.  Sup- 
pose a  thing  is  good — how  good  is  it?  Suppose  a  thing  is 
necessary — how  necessary?  Suppose  a  thing  is  worthy 
a  place  in  our  program — how  large  a  place? 

[no] 


LEARNING  THROUGH   DOING 

Every  now  and  then  we  get  lost  in  a  mass  of  detail 
and  need  to  restate  our  aim  in  teaching  and,  with  careful 
consideration  of  our  limits  of  time  and  space,  relentlessly 
play  the  gardener,  and  pull  out  the  growths  that  choke 
and  hinder  the  development  of  the  finest  plants  of  our 
little  garden. 

Kinds  of  Hand-work 

Now,  first  of  all,  tell  me  what  hand-work  is  for.  Its 
proper  function  must  be  decided.* 

We  hear  much  about  an  impression  being  expressed. 
Is  this  what  hand-work  means?  If  it  does  not  accom- 
plish this,  then  should  it  not  be  called  "busy  work"? 
Make  a  list  of  all  the  kinds  of  hand-work  you  have  seen, 
and  let  us  decide  which  must  necessarily  be  mere  busy 
work  and  which  may  be  self-expression.* 

Can  coloring  cards  be  the  expression  of  a  thought? 
Is  this,  then,  valueless?  Supposing  the  value  to  lie 
merely  in  the  increased  familiarity  with  the  picture  col- 
ored, should  such  work  be  frequent?  Is  there  time  for 
clay  modeling?  Can  it  be  done  with  neatness?  I  have 
heard  several  teachers  say,  **I  approve  of  hand-work,  but 
I  draw  the  line  at  sewing."  Is  this  your  feeling?  If  so, 
is  it  because  there  is  something  about  using  a  needle  that 
is  intrinsically  more  closely  related  to  Sabbath  breaking 
than  using  a  crayon?  or  is  it  because  of  the  limitations 
in  sewing?  Explain  to  me  how  paper-cutting  or  paper- 
tearing  may  be  used.     Is  the  result  worth  while?     Can 

*The  discussion  will  be  based  upon  the  answers  given.  If 
original  ideas  are  not  forthcoming,  draw  them  out  as  suggested. 

'  Here,  again,  the  discussion  depends  upon  the  kinds  of  hand- 
work named. 

[in] 


LESSONS   FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

pasting  possibly  be  self-expression?     Is  it  ever  advisable? 
often  ? 

Drawing 

Is  drawing  practicable?  Does  it  require  special  equip- 
ment ?  Some  teachers  regard  tables  as  a  disadvantage,  argu- 
ing that  in  limited  time  it  is  better  to  make  use  of  the 
chair  seats.     What  is  your  opinion?     Suppose  we  discuss 


Drawing  in  application  of  a  story  on  kindness  to  animals. 
Above  is  a  dish  of  meat  for  a  dog;  at  the  right  a  window 
from  which  crumbs  are  thrown  for  winter  birds;  and  at  the 
left  a  tree  on  which  the  birds  light. 

the  little  child's  capacity  for  expressing  his  thoughts 
through  this  medium.  Will  the  results  be  valuable  as 
artistic  efforts?  Will  they  be  of  permanent  value — 
worthy  of  preservation?  In  what  will  their  value  con- 
sist? Let  us  illustrate  this  by  making  typical  children's 
drawings.  Show  on  the  blackboard  how  you  have  seen 
a  child  draw  a  tree,  a  horse,  a  cup,  a  flower,  a  bird's-nest. 

[112] 


LEARNING  THROUGH   DOING 

Can  you  reproduce  a  child's   illustration   of   any   Bible 
story  ? 

These  productions  are  certainly  not  artistic,  often 
hardly  recognizable,  certainly  not  to  be  preserved  as  mod- 
els for  the  children's  future  work,  so  that  these  early  con- 
ceptions shall  become  permanent.  And  yet,  despite  their 
crudity  and  inadequacy,  they  are  valuable  as  expressions 
of  ideas.  We  usually  are  very  lenient  v^ath  a  child's 
early  imperfect  use  of  language,  and  do  not  criticize  him 
for  retelling  a  story  in  unrelated  w^ords  and  incorrect 
sentences,  with  original  pronunciations  and  curious 
paraphrases.  When  we  regard  early  drawings  similarly 
as  forms  of  expression  rather  than  works  of  art,  we  shall 
understand  that  they  may  have  educational  if  not 
esthetic  value. 


^ 


-..i^.,->., 


Drawing  of  things   a   child   is  thankful   for — pussy  willow, 
violet,    his  house. 


Study  of  Children's  Drawings 

In  Professor  Sully's  fascinating  study  of  children's  draw- 
ings, in  "Children's  Ways,"  he  finds  value  even  in  a  young 

[113] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 


Drawings  to  review    a  story  of  God's  gifts  to  the  horse,  the 
points  being  a  warm  coat,  strong  legs,  a  tail  for  brushing  oflE 

[114] 


LEARNING  THROUGH   DOING 

flies,  keen  scent  and  sharp  hearing.  The  upper  drawing  is  the 
work  of  a  child  four  years  old,  who  hangs  legs,  tail  and  head 
on  a  line,  indicating  the  body,  and  makes  a  full  human  face. 
The  middle  drawing  is  by  a  child  of  five,  who  gets  the  idea 
of  profile,  except  that  he  puts  in  two  eyes.  The  lowest  drawing 
is  done  by  a  child  of  six,  who  draws  the  horse  more  as  one  sees 
it,  even  suggesting  the  hoofs. 

child's  first  pencil  scrawls,  because,  though  having  made 
them  aimlessly,  the  child  either  sees  in  them  something  re- 
motely resembling  in  form  his  father  or  the  kitty  or  a  pig, 
or  by  the  alchemy  of  imagination  converts  the  lines  into 
whatever  his  fancy  may  dictate,  just  as  a  stick  becomes  his 
doll  or  pebbles  his  flock  of  sheep.  Professor  Sully  has  also 
found  children  using  original  symbols  to  represent  certain 
objects  utterly  unlike  them  in  form,  always  making  use  of 
these  symbols  when  pretending  to  draw  the  objects — 
thus  beginning  the  formation  of  an  original  language, 
for  are  not  words  but  symbols? 

Professor  Sully  again  says,  speaking  of  drawings  that 
first  make  an  attempt  to  reproduce  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree the  object,  "It  seems  pretty  evident  that  most  chil- 
dren v/hen  they  begin  to  draw  are  not  thinking  of  setting 
down  a  likeness  of  what  they  see  when  they  look  at  an 
object.  In  the  first  simple  stage  we  have  little  more  than 
a  jotting  down  of  a  number  of  linear  notes,  a  kind  of  rude 
and  fragmentary  description  in  lines  rather  than  in  words. 
Here  a  child  aims  at  bringing  into  his  scheme  what  seems 
to  him  to  have  most  interest  and  importance,  such  as  the 
features  of  the  face,  the  two  legs,  and  so  forth.  In  the 
later  and  more  ambitious  attempt  to  draw  a  man  in  pro- 
file the  old  impulse  to  set  down  what  seems  important 
continues  to  show  itself.  Although  the  little  draughts- 
man has  decided  to  give  to  the  nose,  to  the  ear,  and  pos- 

[115] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

sibly  to  the  manly  beard  and  the  equally  manly  pipe,  the 
advantage  of  a  side  view,  he  goes  on  exhibiting  those 
sovereign  members,  the  two  round  eyes,  and  the  mouth 
with  its  flash  of  serried  teeth,  in  their  full  front  view 
glory.  It  is  enough  for  him  to  know  that  the  lord  of 
creation  has  these  members,  and  he  does  not  trouble  about 
so  small  a  matter  as  our  capability  of  seeing  them  all  at 
at  the  same  moment." 

Looking  at  children's  drawings  from  this  point  of  view 
— as  simply  a  small  attempt  at  description  with  fingers 
rather  than  lips — gives  meaning  to  their  rude  sketches,  in 
that  they  indicate  the  points  that  particularly  impress 
them,  just  as  early  descriptions  of  objects  are  significant. 
As  the  clock  is,  not  something  that  tells  time,  not  an  arti- 
cle of  wood  and  brass  and  glass,  but  a  "tick-tick,"  and  a 
knife  is,  not  a  small  object  of  certain  dimensions  and  ma- 
terials, but  "something  to  cut  with,"  so  a  star  is  a  yellow 
dot  or  cross;  a  man  a  round  head,  with  or  without 
features,  possibly  supported  on  two  legs,  but  often  bodi- 
less; a  chicken  a  little  round  object. 

For  a  child  belongs  to  the  impressionistic  school  of  art, 
and  it  is  simply  his  impression  he  tries  to  give  us,  drawing, 
as  Professor  Augsburg  tells  us,  not  "directly  from  the 
object,  but  from  the  image  of  the  object  that  is  in  his 
mind." 

Place  in  Program  and  Aim 

If  hand-work  has  a  legitimate  place  in  the  program, 
there  are  some  further  points  to  settle.  Is  it  necessary 
or  desirable  that  it  be  employed  with  each  lesson?  Why 
not?  Isn't  there  a  grave  danger  of  becoming  prosaically 
uniform  in  our  programs?     Let  us  always  regard  each 

[ii6] 


LEARNING  THROUGH   DOING 

lesson  as  a  unit,  and  study  how  best  to  teach  that  particu- 
lar lesson.  Such  work  in  the  upper  grades  is  often  done 
at  home.  Will  this  be  the  case  with  little  children?  In 
your  opinion,  is  there  any  unfortunate  drop  in  following 
by  hand-work  a  story  that  has  aroused  feeling?  Do  you 
see  an  advantage  in  using  it  the  following  Sunday  in 
connection  with  the  review?  Might  it  form  an  effective 
approach  to  the  story  by  illustrating  the  truth  to  be 
taught,  as,  for  instance,  drawing  things  the  children  are 
glad  for,  preparatory  to  a  thanksgiving  story?  Suppos- 
ing the  blackboard  instead  of  paper  is  used,  is  there  any 
opportunity  for  group  work?  State  the  advantages  and 
disadvantages  of  the  blackboard  over  individual  sheets 
of  paper. 

However,  the  chief  point  to  be  remembered,  if  hand- 
work is  employed,  is  its  aim — to  impress  the  truth  by  self- 
expression.  Our  goal  is  spiritual,  and  it  is  the  meaning 
of  the  story  that  makes  its  illustration  valuable,  the  in- 
tensified feeling  that  is  the  reason  for  drawing  the  flower 
that  made  us  glad,  or  coloring  the  apple  that  is  given  for 
food,  or  trying  to  show  the  bird's-nest  which  a  careful 
Father  teaches  his  birds  to  make. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  State  the  aim  of  hand-work. 

2.  Discuss  some  one  kind  of  hand-work,  in  regard  to  its 
effectiveness  or   ineffectiveness. 

3.  Report  on  "Children's  Ways,"  chapter  on  "First  Pencil- 
ings,"  by  James  Sully. 

4.  Is  story  illustration   helpful?     If  so,  why? 

5.  State  the  points  applicable  to  Beginners'  hand-work  from 
"Hand-work  in  the  Sunday  school,"  chapter  on  "Illustrative 
Work,"  by  Milton  S.  Littlefield. 

6.  Give  your  ideas  as  to  the  method  of  employing  hand- 
work and  its  place  in  the  program. 

[117] 


LESSON  XIX 

Utilizing  the  Play  Instinct 

Perhaps  play  is  the  best  key  to  the  secrets  of  child  na- 
ture. It  is  the  spontaneous  expression  of  those  very  tend- 
encies which  education  must  use. — Murray 

What  Is  Play? 

The  very  phrase  "child  labor"  makes  the  blood  of  a 
lover  of  children  boil,  so  general  is  the  belief  in  the  right 
of  childhood  to  play.  Yet  the  very  same  person  may  pro- 
test against  "wasting  precious  moments  in  play"  in  Sun- 
day school.  Such  an  one  needs  to  have  a  clear 
perception  of  what  play  is.  That  it  is  pleasurable  is 
obvious,  for  no  normal  child  has  to  be  forced  to  play. 
That  it  is  instinctive  almost  goes  without  saying,  for  is 
not  the  whole  life  of  a  young  child  play?  And,  happily, 
in  these  enlightened  days,  that  anything  is  delightful  as 
well  as  natural  gives  it  an  educational  claim. 

Is  play,  as  we  are  considering  it,  merely  an  outlet  for 
surplus  activity?  Some  one  has  designated  this  sort  of 
play  "fooling."  Real  play  is  a  very  different  matter 
and  is  to  the  child  a  serious  though  enjoyable  thing. 

Is  play  merely  an  index  to  new  physical  powers? 
That  it  is  this  is  evident.  How  a  baby  delights  in  creep- 
ing and  then  in  walking  and  by  and  by  in  skipping! 
Often  with  no  end  or  aim  in  view  he  practises  his  new 

[ii8] 


UTILIZING   THE    PLAY   INSTINCT 

achievements  for  pure  love  of  using  recently-acquired 
powers. 

Isn't  play  more  than  this?  Isn't  it  a  preparation  for 
life?  Watch  a  kitten  at  play.  How  is  its  play  an  appren- 
ticeship for  its  role  of  hunter  ?  Watch  a  little  child  feeling, 
smelling,  tasting  and  looking  at  the  objects  he  plays  with. 
He  is  learning  about  them  and  how  he  can  use  them. 
See  how  a  young  child  delights  in  filling  the  dish  on  the 
table  with  beans  and  then  taking  them  all  out  and  trans- 
ferring them  to  the  dish  on  the  desk,  and  when  that  is 
filled,  happily  trudging  back  again  with  them.  Isn't  this 
good  practise  for  the  drudgery  of  life's  tasks?  Observe 
the  little  girl's  tender  care  for  her  doll.  Doesn't  this 
bode  well  for  motherhood? 

We  have  spoken  of  the  child's  play  as  serious.  It  is 
serious  because  the  child,  when  he  is  "making  believe"  be 
a  horse  or  a  motorman  or  a  shepherd,  is  not  acting  a  part 
or  showing  off  to  others  his  dramatic  ability — not  at  all. 
He  is,  for  the  time  being,  actually  the  person  or  animal 
represented.  He  is  not  acting  but  being.  As  far  as  he 
can  understand  the  feelings  and  actions  of  a  horse,  so  far 
he  is  a  horse.  It  matters  not  whether  or  not  he  has  ob- 
servers, unless  they  so  call  his  attention  to  himself  that 
he  forsakes  his  play.  He  is  wholly  engaged  in  losing  his 
own  personality  in  that  of  a  horse. 

There  is  nothing  light  or  trivial  about  this  matter  of 
becoming  another  creature.  It  is  a  child's  first  step  out 
of  himself.  Through  his  play  he  is  learning  to  under- 
stand and  therefore  appreciate  another's  feelings  and  in- 
dividuality, even  though  that  other  be  as  simple  a  form 
of  life  as  a  butterfly.  It  is  good  for  a  boy  to  stop  being 
a  boy  awhile  and  become  a  butterfly,  so  that  he  may  begin 

[119] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

to  get  out  of  his  egoism  by  realizing  a  butterfly's  as  well 
as  a  boy's  point  of  view. 

Play  is  the  great  instinctive  expression  of  childhood. 
James  Sully  says,  "Play  is  the  working  out  in  visible 
shape  of  an  inner  fancy."  Elsewhere  it  has  been  said, 
"The  child's  pleasurable  response  to  his  environment  in 
his  play" — play  leading  to  an  understanding  of  that  en- 
vironment. 

Ideal  of  Education 

Impressed  with  this  idea  of  play,  the  modern  educator 
seizes  it,  as  he  seizes  all  vital  instincts,  as  a  means  to  his 
end — the  development  of  the  child.  Froebel,  more  than 
any  educator,  realized  the  value  of  play,  and  utilized  it 
in  his  system  of  education.  His  remarkable  "Mother 
Play"  analyzes  and  arranges  the  mother's  natural  early 
plays  with  a  young  child  as  a  basis  for  the  kindergarten. 

Some  one  has  gone  so  far  as  to  say,  "Education  should 
be  play,  organized  to  prepare  for  complete  living."  I  won- 
der if  you  get  the  full  force  of  such  a  statement,  in  the 
face  of  the  traditional  idea  that  duty  is  a  synonym  for  joy- 
lessness  and  that  education  means  unpleasant  tasks  done 
possibly  cheerfully  but  never  by  any  chance  gladly.  Isn't 
the  time  at  hand  when  the  school  boy  no  longer  whines,  or 
creeps  "like  a  snail  unwillingly  to  school,"  when  work  is 
play  and  instincts  proper  educational  material  ? 

But  do  some  of  you  feel  that  we  are  in 
danger  of  sending  spineless  children  out  Into  the  world? 
Isn't  there  something  In  the  old  Idea  of  forcing  oneself 
to  study  a  distasteful  subject  simply  to  demonstrate  one's 
power  of  overcoming?  Let  us  think  of  this  for  a  mo- 
ment.    There  must  be  a  certain  amount  of  detail  work, 

[  120] 


UTILIZING   THE    PLAY   INSTINCT 

so-called  drudgery,  in  order  to  accomplish  any  task.  To 
a  genius,  absorbed  as  he  is  in  his  work  and  in  love  with  it, 
even  this  is  done  joyously,  for  the  sake  of  the  goal.  And 
without  doubt  work  so  done  is  best  ilone. 

Then,  too,  a  boy  will  perform  hardships  and  monoto- 
nous tasks  in  play  with  ease  and  delight,  which  if  de- 
manded of  him  as  work  would  be  grudgingly  executed. 
If  by  any  means  the  element  of  joyousness  can  be  infused 
into  that  which  educates  him,  think  of  the  gain  in  the 
quality  of  work  done!  It  is  still  work,  there  are  hard 
tasks  to  be  performed,  but  the  pleasure  in  doing  them  acts 
as  a  wonderful  incentive.  "In  planning  our  school  sys- 
tems we  have  snubbed  nature,"  says  Mr.  Johnson,  in  his 
"Education  by  Plays  and  Games."  The  tendency  now  is 
to  take  nature  into  the  closest  confidence;  no,  rather,  to 
sit  at  her  feet  and  learn  of  her  and  be,  as  educators, 
merely  her  allies. 

The  Play  Spirit  in  Sunday  School 

And  now  to  return  to  our  original  reason  for  discussing 
the  whole  question — is  there  a  place  for  this  instinct  in 
Sunday  school,  or  do  the  desired  atmosphere  of  reverence 
and  the  nature  of  the  subjects  of  thought  make  this  out 
of  the  question?  A  child  may  sing  and  pray  and 
question  and  talk  and  even  move  about  freely,  we  have 
conceded.  May  he  ever  play?  Certainly  he  should  not 
play  in  the  sense  of  fooling,  nor  will  it  be  often  desirable 
to  introduce  movements  that  have  behind  them  no 
thought.  But,  if  we  banish  legitimate  play,  we  run  into 
the  greatest  danger  of  opening  the  door  to  the  play  that 
is  mere  mischief.  And  do  we  not  deny  the  child  a  very 
effective    means    of    education    by    excluding    from    our 

[121] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

Sunday-school  session  the  kind  of  play  we  have  discussed? 

We  spoke,  while  studying  story-telling,  of  the  interest 
children  take  in  acting  out  at  home  some  of  the  stories 
they  hear,  and  concluded  that  "playing"  an  occasional 
story  which  lends  itself  to  this  method  of  reproduction 
makes  it  more  vivid.  Tell  me  again  your  feeling  about 
the  sort  of  stories  we  would  choose  for  this.  Do  the  chil- 
dren ever  spontaneously  use  gesture  as  they  retell  the 
stories  ? 

The  play  spirit  may  be  utilized  more  frequently  in  the 
little  physical  exercises  that  are  very  necessary  in  relieving 
a  cramped  position  and  in  insuring  attentioiv  to  the  story 
that  is  to  come.  When  such  exercises  have  a  thought 
behind  they  are  real  play  and  an  important  part  of  the 
hour.  These  are  usually  the  impersonation  of  some  ob- 
ject of  nature,  and  a  child  through  such  simple  play  gains 
a  vivid  impression  of  many  a  truth  we  have  tried  to  teach 
through  story,  song  and  conversation. 

He  is  a  garden  flower,  drooping  for  lack  of  rain,  and 
when  the  refreshing  drops  come  pattering  down,  he 
slowly  and  gladly  raises  his  head  and  stretches  out  his 
leaves.  He  is  the  windmill  turned  by  the  wind  or  the 
tree  shaken  by  it,  and  so  feels  its  strength  and  mystery. 
He  is  an  evergreen  tree  sheltering  winter  birds,  or  a  fruit 
tree  whose  branches  are  heavily  laden.  He  becomes  one 
of  the  drops  of  water  that  form  the  stream,  and  will  tell 
you  what  favorite  animal  or  flower  or  bird  he  is  giving  a 
drink.  Here  is  a  brooding  mother-bird,  with  tenderness 
in  every  motion.  There  is  a  swaying  flower,  its  sweet 
face  upheld  to  the  sun  that  gives  it  life.  Quite  naturally 
the  explanatory  Bible  verse  or  song  is  used  in  connection 
with  the  exercise,  and  no  one  who  has  seen  the  eager  in- 

[  122  ] 


UTILIZING   THE    PLAY   INSTINCT 

terest  with  which  a  child  enters  into  this  play  can  ques- 
tion its  fitting  place  in  the  Sunday  school.  And  in 
the  little  child  there  is  a  lack  of  self-consciousness  that 
makes  it  very  real. 

This  same  play  impulse  may  be  seized  upon  in  making 
the  circle  talk  varied  and  animated.  The  children  find  it 
wearisome  to  always  tell  how  they  help  at  home,  but  de- 
lightful to  show  this  in  pantomime  and  have  the  other  chil- 
dren guess  what  they  mean.  So  often,  anyway,  things 
will  be  shown  by  children  who  cannot  be  induced  to  talk. 
This  delight  in  guessing  may  be  still  further  employed  by 
keeping  the  drawings  the  children  make  a  mystery,  till 
guessed  by  the  others,  or  possibly  letting  them  whisper 
to  you  the  drawing  they  wish  you  to  make,  the  rest 
guessing  what  it  is.  In  the  case  of  drawings  possibly  as 
much  of  the  imaginary  element  is  necessary  as  that  used 
in  transforming  a  stick  into  a  doll!  The  sense  of  mys- 
tery is  appealed  to  also  by  asking  the  children  to  close 
their  eyes  and  when  they  open  them  to  see  who  is  standing 
by  a  certain  picture.  Impersonation  is  used  in  the 
motion  songs  and  in  finger  plays.  Indeed,  the  very  choos- 
ing of  songs,  as  we  have  said,  need  not  be  mechanical,  but 
can  be  made  interesting  through  the  play  spirit. 

And  let  us  not  be  blind  to  what  "make-believe"  is  in  its 
final  development.  Ideals  are  formed  by  this  won- 
derful power  of  picturing  ourselves  other  than  we  are. 
Sympathy  is  engendered  by  impersonating  others.  Faith 
— the  belief  in  the  unseen — has  its  root  in  this  serious, 
educative,  alluring  instinct  of  play. 


[123] 


LESSONS   FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Give  what  you  consider  the  best  definition  of  play. 

2.  Show  how  play  is  a  serious  thing  to  a  child. 

3.  Compare  old  and  new  ideas  of  the  possibility  of  educa- 
tion being  pleasurable. 

4.  Report  on  the  chapter  on  "The  Moral  Value  of  Playing 
with  Dolls,"  in  "Child  Nature  and  Child  Nurture,"  by  Edward 
P.  St.  John. 

5.  Review  "Education  by  Plays  and  Games,"  by  George 
Ellsworth  Johnson,   chapter  on  "Play  in  Education." 

6.  Mention  various  ways  in  which  the  play*  instinct  may  be 
utilized  in  Sunday  school. 


[124] 


LESSON  XX 

Our  Surroundings 

The  conception  of  the  universe  which  we  gain  in  child- 
hood is  never  wholly  changed  by  later  impressions;  and 
he  who  has  early  absorbed  the  idea  that  the  world  holds 
nothing  but  what  is  dark  and  dingy,  ugly,  ungraceful  and 
sordid,  will  sink  his  mental  and  moral  ideals  to  the  same 
level. — Kate  Douglas  Wig  gin 

Are  They  Important? 

There  was  once  a  private  kindergarten  whose  appoint- 
ments were  almost  ideal.  A  low-studded,  homelike  room 
finished  in  light  wood  looked  out  through  many  windows 
upon  a  grove  of  oaks,  where  in  spring  and  fall  birds  sang 
and  in  winter  squirrels  played.  A  few  good  pictures 
hung  low  on  the  soft-tinted  walls,  and  sun  and  air  had  free 
access.  Yet  the  children  of  wealthy  families  that  at- 
tended showed  little  interest  or  spontaneity.  In  the 
heart  of  the  congested  section  of  a  near-by  city  a  kinder- 
garten was  held  in  two  rooms  of  a  plain  tenement.  The 
few  windows  were  high  and  small.  There  was  no  system 
of  ventilation  except  through  raising  these  windows.  The 
rooms  were  neat  and  the  most  possible  had  been  done  to 
overcome  their  disadvantages,  yet  even  so  the  surroundings 
were  anything  but  ideal.  Yet  the  children  of  the  poor 
found  here  delight  and  freedom  for  natural  development. 
In  spite  of  environment  the  better  work  was  done  here, 

[  125  ] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

for  the  great  difference  lay  not  so  much  in  the  class  of 
children  as  in  the  personalities  and  ideals  of  the  kinder- 
gartners. 

Shall  we,  then,  conclude  that  our  surroundings  are  of 
little  account?  Compared  to  a  teacher's  personality  they 
certainly  are.  But  consider,  if  a  teacher  has  such  person- 
ality and  power  that  she  can  be  inspiring  under  poor  con- 
ditions, how  much  more  might  she  be  capable  of,  if  her 
environment  was  a  help  instead  of  a  hindrance. 

The  influence  of  surroundings  is  subtle  and  often  in- 
definable. Think  back  to  your  own  childhood  and  you 
will  feel  again  the  spell  of  the  moods  certain  places  in- 
duced in  you.  Describe  to  me  some  such  places  and  the 
kind  of  feeling  they  still  arouse  in  retrospect.  Did  you 
ever  speak  of  it  in  your  childhood  ?  Did  you  then  realize 
that  these  places  were  accountable  for  your  feelings, 
pleasurable  or  otherwise?  The  chances  are  that  you  un- 
consciously sought  or  avoided  them,  and  that  it  was  only 
later  you  understood  the  reason  for  doing  so.  Walt 
Whitman  finely  expresses  this  susceptibility  to  environ- 
ment: 

"There  was  a  child  went  forth  every  day, 

And  the  first  object  that  he  looked  upon,  that  object  he  became, 
And  that  object  became  part  of  him  for  the  day  or  a  certain 

part  of  the  day, 
Or  for  many  years  or  stretching  cycles  of  years. 
The  early  lilacs  became  part  of  this  child, 
And  grass,  and  white  and  red  morning  glories,  and  white  and 

red  clover,  and  the  song  of  the  phoebe  bird." 

So  we  need  not  argue  that  because  children  many  times 
appear  unobservant  of  their  surroundings  or  indifferent 
to  them,  they  are  not  important.  We  are  seldom  aware 
of  the  air  we  breathe,  but  it  permeates  our  whole  nature 
for  good  or  evil.     Perhaps  an  unconscious  absorbing  of 

[126] 


OUR   SURROUNDINGS 

his  surroundings  is  the  best  description  of  the  child's  at- 
titude. Neither,  as  we  said  before,  can  we  be  greatly 
influenced  by  good  results  under  poor  conditions.  And, 
anyway,  good  and  bad  are  comparative  terms,  and  what 
some  might  call  poor  would  be  to  others  good  sur- 
roundings. 

Ideal  Environment 

A  good  garden  is  a  place  where  flowers  grow  well, 
and  Froebel  was  certainly  inspired  when  he  originated 
the  name  "kindergarten."  The  environment  in  which 
children  will  best  develop  is  clearly  the  ideal  environ- 
ment. We  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  normal 
growth  necessitates  freedom.  Where  is  a  little  child 
most  free?  Of  course  at  home.  What,  then,  will  be  the 
test  of  our  ideal  environment?  Will  it  not  be  home- 
likeness?  This  may  seem  to  some  of  us  discouraging, 
for  visions  arise  of  church  pews  fringed  with  little  dan- 
gling legs ;  of  high-studded  chapels  with  the  light  strained 
and  colored  by  stained  glass  windows;  of  damp  cellars, 
w^here  unsightly  furnaces  glow  in  winter  and  where 
clammy  coolness  is  the  summer  atmosphere.  And  yet 
apparently  impossible  conditions  can  be  at  least  alleviated 
and  more  often  banished  than  a  faint  heart  dares  hope. 

Let  us  first  picture  the  surroundings  we  would  like  to 
have,  and  then  try  to  solve  particular  problems.  Our 
ideal  room  will  of  course  be  only  for  the  Beginners,  and 
on  the  ground  floor.  We  surely  will  agree  that  one  of 
the  conditions  necessary  to  plant  growth  is  necessary  to  the 
well-being  and  pleasure  of  children.  What  is  this?  If 
we  can  get  into  our  Beginners'  room  sunshine,  or  at  least 
light  and  fresh  air,  we  shall  have  gone  a  long  way  to- 

[127] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

ward  producing  a  homelike  feeling.  Gloom  and  darkness 
tend  to  make  a  little  child  lonely  and  afraid,  and  stale  ail 
is  deadening. 

In  this  ideal  room  would  you  have  the  ceiling  far 
above  the  heads  of  the  little  people,  or  would  you  prefer 
a  low-studded  room?  Which  is  more  homelike? 
Should  the  room  be  much  larger  than  the  circle  of  chairs? 
What  additional  space  is  needed?  There  must  be  an 
inconspicuous  place  for  visitors,  but  otherwise  the  walls 
ought  to  be  as  near  the  children  as  possible.  Far-away 
walls  and  pictures  never  really  form  a  part  of  the  little 
child's  environment,  which  is  composed,  like  his  ideas,  of 
things  close  at  hand. 

What  should  be  the  general  effect  of  the  walls?  A 
good  background  for  pictures  is  certainly  needed,  and  light 
woodwork  and  dainty  walls  are  pleasing  to  children.  A 
burlap  dado  is  a  very  convenient  place  for  fastening  story 
pictures  which  need  to  be  frequently  changed,  and  has 
the  added  advantage  of  bringing  them  within  sight  and 
touch.  The  whole  question  of  pictures,  however,  was 
discussed  in  a  recent  lesson.  A  low  blackboard  painted 
upon  the  wall  is  not  a  disfigurement,  although  a  movable 
blackboard  may  be  preferred.  Is  a  bare  floor  best?  How 
is  a  rug  a  help  to  order?  Will  rubber  tips  on  the  chairs 
accomplish  the  same  thing? 

Many  of  us,  already  established  in  rooms  far  from  this 
ideal,  may  by  this  time  feel  discouraged,  but  we  wnll  pass 
now  to  the  question  of  furniture,  in  which  there  are  possi- 
bilities for  us  all.  Assuredly  the  most  essential  furniture 
is  seats  of  some  sort.  What  advantages  have  chairs  over 
settees?  Of  what  height  should  such  chairs  be?  Is  it 
wise  to  have  some  shorter  than  others?     Is  a  musical 

[128] 


OUR   SURROUNDINGS 

instrument  necessary?  Do  little  children  sing  better 
with  a  piano  or  an  organ?  State  advantages  or  disad- 
vantages of  tables.  Even  though,  for  the  simple  hand- 
U'ork  done  in  the  brief  time  at  your  disposal,  you  prefer 
that  the  children  shall  use  the  seats  of  the  chairs,  doesn't 
every  teacher  need  a  low  table,  where  flowers,  objects  of 
nature  brought  in  by  the  children,  the  papers  for  the  day 
and  pictures  can  be  placed?  A  cabinet  for  supplies  is 
also  a  great  convenience,  and  if  made  to  order  can  be  of 
the  right  size  for  the  pictures,  papers,  drawing  materials, 
song  books,  and  whatever  else  may  constitute  the  material. 
Some  place  for  disposing  of  the  wraps  prevents  a  dis- 
orderly appearance  of  the  room.  Where  a  closet  is  not 
available,  a  light  rack  or  hooks  on  the  wall  in  an  incon- 
spicuous place  form  good  substitutes.  Possibly  the  only 
additional  necessity,  except  seats  for  the  visitors,  is  a 
screen,  placed  before  the  door,  so  that  late  comers  may 
remove  their  wraps  without  disturbing  the  class. 

Many  modern  kindergarten  rooms  furnish  good  models 
for  an  ideal  Beginners'  room — light,  sunny,  homelike  and 
attractive,  and  any  one  who  is  planning  a  parish  house 
or  special  Sunday-school  building  would  better  examine 
such  rooms. 

Our  Problems 

For  the  great  majority  of  us  the  ideal  environment  is 
not  immediately  possible.  Our  problem  is  as  near  an 
approach  to  that  ideal  as  can  be  managed.  So  let  each 
of  us  present  her  problem  and  we  will  help  solve  one  an- 
other's.' 

*  While  a  text-book  cannot  solve  local  problems,  and  while 
suggestions  are  expected  from  the  class,  a  few  possible  solu- 
tions are  given. 

[  129] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

The  first  requisite  of  an  ideal  environment  we  decided 
to  be  a  room  alone  on  the  ground  floor.  How  many 
have  that?  Isn't  there  some  room  you  can  have? 
Possibly  you  can  make  use  of  a  room  in.  a  near-by  pri- 
vate house.  Where  the  room  must  be  shared  with  the 
primary  children,  curtains  or  screens  may  be  utilized. 
These  may  form  temporary  walls  for  hanging  pictures. 
If  your  place  of  meeting  is  the  one  church  room,  at  least 
choose  a  cosy  corner,  separated  by  screens,  the  frame- 
work of  which  may  be  cheaply  made  by  a  local  carpenter, 
and  stained  and  covered  by  you.  Even  if  church  pews 
must  be  the  seats,  there  can  be  footstools  to  support  short 
legs. 

Do  any  of  you  fail  in  having  light  and  fresh  air?  I 
know  a  teacher  who  had  a  stained  glass  window  changed 
for  one  of  plain  glass.  Occasionally  a  new  window  may 
be  cut.  Narrow  boards  under  the  windows  allow  fresh 
air  to  enter  between  the  sashes,  and  a  room  that  is  well- 
aired  before  the  session  will  not  become  very  close  during 
the  hour.  Often  in  warm  weather  the  class  may  meet  on 
the  church  lawn  where  there  is  no  lack  of  light  and  air. 

Is  your  problem  one  of  the  size  of  the  room?  A  small 
room  cannot  be  stretched  to  suit,  but  it  can  be  emptied 
of  all  unessential  furniture,  and  the  circle,  or,  better,  the 
incomplete  circle,  including  a  bit  of  the  wall  where  hang 
the  pictures,  can  be  arranged  to  make  the  most  of  the  avail- 
able space.  A  large,  unhomelike  room,  on  the  contrary, 
can  be  given  a  cosy  effect  by  means  of  screens,  shutting 
ofE  some  of  the  unnecessary  space. 

There  is  little  excuse  for  any  of  us  not  Improving  the 
appearance  of  the  walls.  Dingy  or  dark  walls  may  be 
tinted,   and  woodwork  painted  white   at  slight  expense 

[130] 


OUR   SURROUNDINGS 

and  surely  not  to  the  detriment  of  the  room  for  other 
uses.  A  burlap  dado  may  often  be  added.  An  ordinary 
bare  floor  may  be  painted  some  shade  harmonizing  with 
the  wall  coloring,  and  an  ugly  carpet  covered  with  a  rug. 
As  to  the  furniture,  it  is  possible  to  cut  off  the  legs  of 
high  chairs,  if  low  ones  cannot  be  procured,  and  hooks 
for  wraps  and  shelves  painted  white  for  supplies  cost 
little.  A  musical  instrument  is  the  greatest  expense,  and 
if  a  good  one  cannot  be  obtained,  it  is  better  to  sing  with- 
out, if  5^ou  or  an  assistant  can  carry  the  tune. 

How  tO/Get  Ideal  Surroundings 

We  Sunday-school  teachers  often  say,  with  a  virtuous 
air,  "We  must  be  patient  with  our  surroundings."  But, 
after  all,  isn't  patience  sometimes  the  excuse  of  an  indo- 
lent nature?  It  is  the  dissatisfied  teacher  who  insists  on 
better  conditions — and  gets  them.  "Where  there's  a  will 
there's  a  way"  is  a  pretty  good  working  motto. 

The  first  step  is  to  awaken  the  interest  of  the  church 
people.  Invite  the  prudential  committee  to  visit  the 
department  and  while  they  are  fascinated  with  the  chil- 
dren, point  out  the  defects  in  your  room.  Most  prudential 
committees  are  not  as  unapproachable  as  one  imagines, 
and  the  appeal  of  an  enthusiastic  teacher  is  gladly  met. 

However,  the  people  most  interested  should  be  the 
parents  of  the  children,  and  they  will  be  if  they  realize 
the  importance  of  the  work  that  is  being  done.  Parents 
who  visit  the  class  Sunday  after  Sunday  will  be  as  eager 
as  the  teacher  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  room,  and  will 
usually  be  ready  to  contribute  money  or  get  up  entertain- 
ments or  solicit  among  friends  for  this  cause.  The  par- 
ents of  a  certain  Sunday  school  raised  money  in  this  way 

1 131  ] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

for  a  piano,  at  Christmas  the  mothers  gave  a  curtain  for 
the  window,  a  father  had  a  rack  made  for  wraps,  and 
some  permanent  pictures  w^ere  given  by  parents  whose 
children  belonged  to  the  department  or  in  memory  of 
those  who  had  died.  Still  another  way  of  getting  funds 
is  through  a  double  offering,  any  additional  money 
brought  by  the  children  being  used  "to  make  our  room 
beautiful." 

At  any  rate  remember  this — a  good  environment  means 
that  we  as  teachers  have  the  right  ideal  and  the  enthusi- 
asm that  is  better  than  patience,  because  we  are  willing  to 
work  and  to  inspire  others  to  work  for  the  good  of  the 
children. 


QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  State  your  idea  of  the  importance  of  a  child's  environ- 
ment. 

2.  What  are  the  general  characteristics  of  ideal  Sunday- 
school  surroundings  for   little  children? 

3.  Do  you  find  any  suggestions  in  "Kindergarten  Principles 
and  Practise,"  by  Wiggin  and  Smith,  chapter  on  "The  School 
of  Speusippus"? 

4.  Describe  an  ideal  Beginners'  room,  when  one  can  plan 
the  building  and  buy  the  furnishings. 

5.  Describe  your  own  surroundings  and  suggest  how  they 
might  be  improved. 

6.  Give  some  practical  methods  of  making  possible  good 
surroundings. 


[132] 


LESSON  XXI 

Making  the  Machinery  Run  Smoothly 

Whatever  is  worth  doing  at  all  is  worth  doing  well, — ' 
Earl  of  Chesterfield 

Importance  of  Organization 

In  our  course  of  lessons  we  have  proceeded  quite  oppo- 
sitely to  many  people's  idea  of  proper  progression.  We 
began  by  studying  the  child,  then  endeavored  to  find  out 
the  kind  of  religion  that  would  fit  his  needs,  criticised 
existing  curricula,  discussed  at  length  the  various  teach- 
ing methods  which  would  be  most  effective,  and  have  only 
toward  the  end  come  to  the  subjects  of  equipment  and 
organization  which  are  commonly  considered  first.  For 
are  not  organization  and  equipment  merely  means  to  an 
end?  And  if  the  importance  of  that  end  be  not  thor- 
oughly appreciated,  of  what  possible  use  are  the  very  finest 
surroundings  and  provisions?  To  actually  do  something 
with  little  organization  and  under  poor  conditions  is  far 
better  than  to  organize  amid  ideal  surroundings  with  no 
conception  of  the  reason  for  so  doing. 

In  our  last  lesson  we  contrasted  two  kindergartens, 
to  the  disparagement  of  that  having  the  more  ideal  envi- 
ronment. I  have  seen  Beginners'  departments,  in  which 
every  detail  was  carefully  arranged,  and  yet  where  the 
atmosphere  was  so  lacking  in  spirituality  and  the  teach- 

[133] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

ing  in  force  that  I  could  not  help  querying,  "Was  it  all 
worth  such  perfect  machinery?"  I  have,  on  the  other 
hand,  seen  really  inspired  teaching  done  in  departments 
where  there  were  unnecessary  interruptions,  a  lack  of 
records,  and  general  hit-or-miss  management,  and  I  have 
wondered,  "Wasn't  it  worth  better  machinery?" 

The  Teaching  Force 

We  do  need  some  machinery,  in  order  to  do  the  most 
effective  work,  and  yet  we  want  this  machinery  to  run 
very,  very  smoothly,  or  otherwise  we  shall  destroy  the 
homelike  atmosphere  so  essential  to  the  Beginners'  depart- 
ment. For  after  all  it  is  just  a  company  of  tiny  children 
we  have  gotten  together  for  story-telling  and  to  sing 
and  talk,  and  it  would  be  absurd  to  build  up  about 
such  a  group  an  elaborate  and  formal  organization. 
The  machinery  that  must  run  smoothly  should  also 
be  invisible.  In  other  words,  let  us  minimize  red 
tape. 

Suppose  we  at  first  decide  what  adults  are  needed  in 
this  department.  Will  this  depend  something  upon  its 
size?  Do  you  consider  one  teacher  sufficient  for  a  small 
class  of  ten  or  twelve  children?  WHiat  reason  would 
there  be  for  an  assistant  ?  No  matter  how  small  the  class 
there  will  be  some  interruptions  from  late  comers  and  the 
secretary's  or  treasurer's  visit,  and  it  is  difficult  to  lead 
in  singing  when  one  plays  as  well.  However,  some 
arrangement  should  be  made  whereby  the  collection  and 
record  of  attendance  can  be  taken  without  any  interrup- 
tion, a  tactful  teacher  can  remove  wraps  while  continu- 
ing the  session,  and  a  small  group  can  gather  about  the 
piano  to  sing.     So  it  is  possible  for  one  teacher  to  fill 

[134] 


MAKING    THE    MACHINERY    RUN 

the  office  of  superintendent,  pianist,  secretary  and  assist- 
ant. 

In  a  large  school  there  should  be  at  least  one  assistant, 
who  will  fulfil  all  the  duties  apart  from  the  actual  teach- 
ing. Her  chief  qualification,  in  addition  to  lave  of  chil- 
dren, should  be  musical  ability.  The  rest  of  her  work 
should  be  done  unostentatiously,  with  the  thought  always 
foremost  of  protecting  the  class  from  interruptions. 

Do  you  think  that  a  department  of  fifty  or  over  needs 
more  assistants?  Is  a  secretary  essential?  If  so,  what 
should  be  her  duties?  Certainly  there  should  be  some 
records  kept,  such  as  the  name  of  each  child,  his  birthday, 
the  date  of  his  entering  the  department  and  his  parents' 
address.  The  attendance  needs  also  to  be  recorded  in 
some  simple,  accurate  way.  What  system  have  you  found 
best?  Would  you  take  the  time  for  a  roll-call  every 
Sunday?  Isn't  it  natural  to  occasionally  speak  of  ab- 
sent children?  Doesn't  it  increase  the  feeling  that  the 
class  is  a  big  family,  any  member  of  which  is  missed  when 
away?  Shouldn't  the  record  of  absentees  accomplish 
more  than  this?  Mailing  the  child's  folder  to  him  gives 
him  not  alone  a  delightful  feeling  of  being  looked  after, 
but  makes  it  possible  for  him  to  hear  the  story  he  has 
missed.  Much  better  is  the  paper  delivered  by  a  teacher. 
Some  large  departments  divide  the  children  among  a 
number  of  assistants,  who  call  upon  those  absent  from 
their  group,  or  find  out  in  some  way  the  reason  for  non- 
attendance. 

In  a  very  large  school  a  number  of  assistants  can  be 
used  in  this  way,  to  aid  in  taking  off  and  putting  on 
WTaps,  and  to  sit  in  the  circle  with  the  children,  helping 
in  the  singing,  in  extricating  pennies  from  minute  purses 

[135] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

or  hard  knots  in  handkerchiefs,  and  perhaps  holding  a 
young  child  during  the  story  period.  Such  assistants, 
however,  need  to  be  unobtrusive,  lest  they  hinder  more 
than  help.  A  teacher  does  not  wish  whispered  colloquies 
between  her  assistants  and  children,  nor  should  adult 
voices  predominate  in  the  singing. 

Another  important  duty  for  somebody  is  to  have  charge 
of  the  supplies,  seeing  that  they  are  in  order  and  that 
everything  needed  in  the  way  of  folders,  story  papers,  pic- 
tures, crayons  and  drawing  paper  is  at  hand.  This 
usually  means  that  the  room  should  be  visited  sometime 
before  the  session.  Where  the  class  is  held  in  the  morn- 
ing or  afternoon,  at  least  one  teacher  should  be  there  soon 
enough  to  greet  early-comers  and  provide  something  for 
them  to  do,  either  in  getting  the  room  ready  or  examin- 
ing pictures  or  possibly  engaging  in  some  preparatory 
hand-work. 

Other  Arrangements 

The  foregoing  plans  are  made  for  a  department  meet- 
ing in  a  room  alone  and  taught  as  a  single  circle. 
What  officers  may  be  eliminated  when  it  seems  necessary 
for  the  Beginners'  and  Primary  departments  to  meet  to- 
gether? Is  this  an  ideal  arrangement?  What  are  the 
arguments  for  and  against  dividing  into  two  or  more 
circles?  What  further  requisites  will  it  make  essential 
in  the  assistants?  Certainly  the  same  story  will  be  told 
to  all,  even  though  by  different  teachers,  or  the  circle 
talk  is  an  impossibility.  Is  there  usually  one  person,  even 
when  a  number  form  the  teaching  corps,  w^ho  tells  stories 
particularly  well?  It  seems  to  me  a  pity  for  any  one  of 
the  children  to  miss  the  inspiration  of  a  finely-told  story. 

[136] 


MAKING   THE    MACHINERY    RUN 

Do  you  find  there  is  a  certain  enthusiasm  that 
comes  from  numbers,  and  that  one  child's  expression  of 
thought  in  the  circle  talk  stimulates  another?  Or  do  you 
feel  that  the  shy  children  will  only  express  themselves  in 
a  small  group?  These  questions  must  decide  for  each  of 
those  who  have  large  departments  which  is  the  better 
method.  The  argument  that  if  the  teaching  is  done  by 
one  person  the  assistants  have  nothing  to  do  is  absurd, 
for  besides  the  duties  that  have  been  outlined,  there  are 
the  visitors  to  be  welcomed  and  quietly  seated,  the  ventila- 
tion to  be  attended  to,  and  various  other  helpful  things 
apparent  to  one  tactful  and  observant.  Then,  too,  a 
teacher  will  sometimes  let  an  assistant  take  charge  of  the 
circle  talk  or  tell  the  story  in  her  place.  Young  assist- 
ants will  find  this  very  valuable  practise,  if  the  teacher 
will  criticize  them  afterwards. 

The  Cradle  Roll  and  School  Finances 

But  of  whom  are  our  Beginners'  departments  formed? 
In  a  well-organized  Sunday  school  there  is  a  record  kept 
of  the  babies  who  will  come  to  Sunday  school  when  old 
enough — a  kind  of  waiting-list,  called  the  Cradle  Roll. 
The  superintendent  of  the  Cradle  Roll  may  be  the  one 
teacher  of  the  Beginners'  department,  an  assistant,  or  a 
mother  of  one  of  the  children.  Her  duties  are  to  add  new 
babies  to  the  list  and  notify  the  parents  when  their  chil- 
dren have  reached  the  proper  age  to  be  enrolled  in  the 
Beginners'  department — usually  at  four  years,  sometimes 
a  trifle  younger.  What  other  duties  will  such  a  super- 
intendent have  in  connection  with  the  babies'  birthdays? 
Christmas?     Is  a  Cradle  Roll  party  ever  advisable? 

Another  question  is  that  of  finance.     It  costs  something 

[137] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

for  the  regular  supplies  of  the  Beginners'  department  as 
well  as  for  the  room  furnishings  we  have  discussed.  How 
are  these  expenses  met  in  your  school  ?  Is  there  a  special 
apportionment  for  the  Beginners'  department,  or  are  the 
school  finances  managed  as  a  whole?  State  the  advan- 
tages in  your  mind  of  having  the  Sunday  school  supported 
by  the  church. 

Teacher  Training 

One  other  phase  of  organization  needs  to  be  spoken 
of,  and  that  Is  teacher  training.  There  should  be  some 
plan  for  keeping  present  teachers  up  to  their  best  and  for 
training  future  teachers.     Have  you  any  such  provision? 

The  teachers  may  belong  to  a  city  union,  and  gain  help 
from  Beginners'  teachers  of  other  Sunday  schools,  taking 
up  some  such  course  as  this,  especially  adapted  to  teachers 
of  little  children.  Such  is  the  most  Ideal  kind  of  organi- 
zation, as  numbers  usually  stimulate  thought  and  many 
viewpoints  broaden  the  outlook.  Next  best  Is  a  teacher- 
training  class  composed  of  the  teachers  of  one  Sunday 
school,  taking  up  a  more  comprehensive  course,  such  as 
child  study  extending  over  more  years  or  Bible  study. 
There  can,  again,  be  teachers'  meetings,  where  the  teach- 
ers talk  over  general  matters  and  particular  children. 
However,  such  meetings  can  usually  Include  a  little  defi- 
nite study,  and  are  certainly  vastly  more  helpful  if  they 
do  so. 

As  to  future  teachers,  they  may  be  members  of  a  pre- 
paratory training  class,  and  observe  and  at  the  same  time 
assist  In  the  Beginners'  department,  or,  If  there  Is  no  such 
class,  they  may  meet  with  the  teachers  already  teaching. 
Such  future  teachers  may,  as  they  advance  in  their  course, 

[138] 


MAKING   THE    IMACHINERY    RUN 

occasionally  tell  the  story  or  conduct  the  circle  talk,  al- 
ways under  supervision  and  with  criticism  afterwards. 
Visiting  other  Beginners'  departments  and  day  kinder- 
gartens, attending  summer  schools,  institutes  and  con- 
ventions are  all  helpful. 

Perhaps  some  of  you  may  think  that  an  entire  lesson 
on  organization  hardly  tallies  with  the  opening  remarks 
in  regard  to  doing  away  with  red  tape.  But  the  sugges- 
tions that  have  been  made,  If  carried  out,  will  not  de- 
tract at  all  from  the  freedom  or  homellkeness  of  the 
department,  but  make  it  possible  to  keep  track  of  the 
family  of  children  whom  we  see  only  once  a  week,  and 
accomplish  the  most  possible  in  the  short  hour  that  is  ours 
together. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  How  important  do  you  consider  the  organization  of  a 
Beginners'  department? 

2.  Give  your  idea  of  the  number  of  teachers  necessary  in 
large  and  small  departments  and  their  duties. 

3.  Do  you  think  the  best  arrangement  for  teaching  a  Begin- 
ners' department  a  circle  or  several  small  groups? 

4.  Explain  the  function  of  the  Cradle  Roll. 

5.  Give  your  ideas  as  to  the  best  method  of  financing  the 
Beginners'  department. 

6.  What  further  teacher  training  do  you  feel  necessary 
and  possible  for  yourself? 


[139] 


LESSON  XXII 

Home   Cooperation 

To  and  fro,  between  home  and  school,  the  children  go, 
blessed  little  messengers  of  good  luill;  and  when  the  kin* 
dergartner  comes  to  see  the  mother,  or  the  mother  to  ad' 
vise  with  the  kindergartner,  they  are  not  strangers, 
though  they  may  never  have  met  before. — Nora  Archi- 
bald Smith 

Relation  of  Home  and  Sunday  School 

It  is  a  far  cry  back  to  the  old  days  when  the  home  was 
the  center  of  the  child's  education.  We  have  not  reached 
the  Spartan  ideal  of  giving  over  our  children  entirely  to 
the  state,  but  we  are  approaching  it,  as  regards  education, 
not  only  secular  but  religious.  The  ordinary  mother 
feels  incompetent  to  teach  her  children  according  to 
modern  methods,  and  puts  them  in  charge  of  trained 
teachers.  So,  too,  many  mothers  trust  their  children's 
religious  nurture  to  the  Sunday  school. 

Isn't  it  your  experience  that  mothers  read  the  Bible 
to  their  children  or  tell  Bible  stories  less  commonly  than 
once?  How  many  parents  do  you  know  who  have  a 
well-thought-out  scheme  of  religious  education  for  their 
children,  which  they  attempt  to  promulgate?  Do  most 
of  the  parents  of  your  children  know  just  what  religious 
teaching  they  are  getting  in  Sunday  school?     Did  you 

[140] 


HOME    COOPERATION 

ever  hear  of  parents  who  refused  to  send  their  children 
to  a  Sunday  school  because  the  teaching  did  not  coincide 
with  their  views,  preferring  to  teach  them  at  home  ?  How 
do  such  parents  compare  In  your  estimation  with  those 
who  neither  know  nor  care  what  their  children  are 
taught  ? 

Much  as  we  may  regret  any  lapse  In  home  religious 
teaching,  we  can  see  the  advantage  of  children  meeting 
together  In  Sunday  school  and  receiving  instruction  ac- 
cording to  approved  methods.  And  this  need  not  in  the 
least  detract  from  the  importance  of  the  home  teaching. 
Is  there  anything  we,  as  teachers,  long  for  more  than 
home  cooperation?  Is  there  any  greater  help  we  can 
have  than  parents  pledged  to  carry  on  the  same  teaching 
that  we  give  in  the  Sunday  school?  The  home  and  the 
Sunday  school  supplementing  each  other,  working  to- 
gether, as  neither  institution  can  work  alone,  the  Sunday 
school  giving  the  children  the  Impetus  and  Inspira- 
tion that  an  outside  influence  does  give,  combined  with 
the  Incomparable  nurture  and  encouragement  of  the  home 
— this  is  our  ideal. 

Ideal  Home  Help 

An  institute  speaker  once  concluded  an  ardent  plea 
for  home  cooperation,  when  the  pastor  of  the  church 
asked,  in  a  convinced  but  puzzled  voice,  "Exactly  what 
do  Sunday-school  teachers  wish  the  mothers  to  do?"  So 
let  us  be  practical  and  instead  of  prating  generalities 
mention  specific  ways  in  which  home  help  may  be  given. 

The  prevailing  idea,  with  both  parents  and  teachers, 
is  that  home  cooperation  means  assisting  or  compelling 
the    children    to    learn    their    lessons.     The    pupil    who 

[141] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

comes  to  Sunday  school  able  to  recite  perfectly  the  mem- 
ory verse  and  to  tell  every  detail  of  the  story  is  commonly 
considered  to  have  had  the  best  of  home  help.  In  the 
upper  grades,  too,  those  pupils  who  do  w^ell  the  so-called 
"home  vv^ork"  of  writing  in  note-books,  pasting  pictures, 
looking  up  facts,  and  the  like,  are  regarded  as  being  care- 
fully kept  to  their  duties  by  their  parents.  Is  this  the 
sort  of  help  we  desire  from  the  mothers  of  our  little 
children?  Shall  we  expect  any  of  this  type  of  home  work 
from  them? 

Surely  any  hand-work  will  be  done  during  the  class 
session.  Such  simple  home  work  as  looking  up 
pictures  of  flowers,  birds,  Christmas  or  Thanksgiving 
pictures  is  liable  to  be  forgotten  by  our  children,  unless 
special  word  is  sent  to  their  mothers  in  regard  to  it.  It 
is  more  natural  for  a  child  to  bring  in  flowers  or  leaves 
or  shells  or  pine-cones  as  gifts  for  his  teacher  without 
being  asked,  and  such  objects  of  nature  can  be  made  a 
very  real  part  of  the  lesson,  by  being  traced  to  the  Creator 
of  all  beauty. 

We,  of  course,  do  want  the  stories  reread  or  retold. 
Telling  the  Bible  story  with  other  favorites  at  the  bed- 
time story  hour  helps  the  children  to  regard  it  as  some- 
thing quite  different  from  a  lesson  to  be  learned.  We 
also  want  the  Bible  verses  used  at  home.  The  word 
"used"  is  employed  advisedly.  This  is  not  the  age  for 
strict  memory  work,  and  the  sympathetic  repetition  of 
the  Bible  verse,  after  the  story  is  told,  or  as  a  comment 
on  the  story  picture,  and  also  in  connection  with  any  ob- 
ject or  event  of  every  day,  is  a  kind  of  home  help  that 
infuses  life  into  it. 

It   is  this  connection   of   our   Sunday-school   teaching 

[  142  ] 


HOME    COOPERATION 

with  the  children's  home  life  that  is  the  real  cooperation 
we  want.  We  simply  try  to  interpret  the  life  the  child 
actually  lives,  and  if  at  home  the  teaching  is  carried  on 
and  illustrated  by  the  home  experiences,  then,  indeed,  we 
may  hope  to  accomplish  great  things.  The  folders  of  the 
International  Graded  Beginners'  Course,  issued  by  a  syn- 
dicate, contain  suggestions  for  such  specific  help  in  the 
home,  called  "The  Mother's  Part." 

Specific  Snggestions 

As  is  often  said,  we  learn  only  through  experience,  and 
education  is  merely  arranging  a  set  of  experiences  for 
children,  which  will  expedite  the  acquiring  of  knowledge. 
Our  Sunday-school  teaching  must  be  largely  theoretical, 
and  it  certainly  needs  the  practical  home  occurrences  in 
order  to  be  really  effective. 

Suppose,  for  instance,  the  story  is  about  David  and  his 
sheep,  told  to  bring  out  the  lesson  of  tender  care  for 
God's  creatures.  The  mother's  part,  in  this  case,  is  not 
so  much  to  see  that  the  child  knows  every  detail  of  the 
story  as  to  encourage  him  to  carry  out  its  teaching — to 
hold  him  responsible  for  feeding  the  cat  or  dog,  to  sug- 
gest saving  crumbs  from  his  meals  for  the  birds,  to  avoid 
killing  or  injuring  harmless  insects.  When  there  is  a 
series  of  stories  on  obedience,  there  is  a  chance  to  create 
many  opportunities  for  its  exercise  at  home.  When  there 
is  one  on  helpfulness,  the  mother  who  knows  this  sees 
that  there  are  plenty  of  chances  to  help  at  home,  and 
takes  special  pains  to  appreciate  any  voluntary  offer  of 
assistance. 

The  heavenly  Father's  care  is  recognized  in  common 
comforts,  which  are  made  a  subject  of  the  evening  prayer. 

[143] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

Indeed,  this  petition  often  is  influenced  by  the  nature  oi 
the  Sunday-school  lessons.  Sunday-school  songs  arc  sung  at 
home,  not  merely  to  be  learned,  but  for  the  love  of  sing- 
ing and  for  the  connection  they  have  w^ith  home  life. 
Thus,  as  children  of  this  age  have  so  few^  interests,  if 
home  and  Sunday  school  consider  the  same  subjects,  think 
of  the  impression  made! 

How  to  Accomplish  This 

Who  is  to  blame  for  a  lack  of  this  ideal  cooperation  ?  We 
teachers  are  apt  to  say  the  parents.  Is  it  not  largely, 
however,  our  ow^n  fault?  How^  many  of  you  call  at  the 
homes  of  the  children  ?  ask  the  mothers  to  visit  the  class  ? 
give  any  parties  or  gatherings  to  which  the  mothers  are 
invited?  hold  mothers'  meetings  or  form  mothers'  clubs? 
take  any  pains  to  interest  the  parents  in  the  lessons?  ask 
their  advice  in  regard  to  Sunday-school  matters?  solicit 
their  aid  in  getting  up  programs  for  special  days  or  in 
making  the  room  more  attractive?  In  most  cases  the  lack 
of  cooperation  is  simply  a  failure  to  get  together,  for 
where  this  is  accomplished  it  is  easy  to  work  for  a  com- 
mon end. 

We  teachers  need  to  know  the  mothers  so  as  to  know 
our  children.  They  can  help  us  inestimably  in  explain- 
ing one  child's  shyness,  or  another's  apparent  obstinacy, 
or  the  failure  of  a  third  to  comprehend.  They  need  to 
visit  our  classes  occasionally,  to  understand  what  we  are 
trying  to  do.  Is  there  any  objection  in  your  mind  to  this? 
Surely  mothers  are  a  help  when  they  are  in  sympathy 
with  us,  and  are  willing  to  leave  the  management  of  the 
children  entirely  in  our  hands,  and  listen  to  their  quaint 
remarks  without  comment. 

[  144] 


HOME    COOPERATION 

No  teacher  need  feel  too  young  or  inexperienced  to  or- 
ganize a  mothers'  cluh  or  to  hold  mothers'  meetings. 
The  mothers  will  understand  that  she  is  simply  the  leader 
of  the  meeting,  and  not  in  any  sense  a  lecturer  on  the  way 
they  should  bring  up  their  children!  How  have  you 
found  such  a  club  most  helpful  ?  An  excellent  beginning 
is  to  make  a  study  of  the  course  of  lessons  you  are  teach- 
ing and  get  the  mothers  to  tell  what  response  the  chil- 
dren make  at  home.  A  book  on  child  study  may  be 
taken  up  and  studied  together.  Perhaps  as  good  a  book 
as  there  is  for  this  purpose  is  "Child  Nature  and  Child 
Nurture,"  by  Edward  Porter  St.  John,  in  which  subjects 
like  **The  Meaning  of  the  Child's  Fears"  and  "Training 
the  Child  to  Love"  are  discussed.  In  discussions  of  such 
vital  topics  much  help  is  gained  by  all. 

Whatever  means  are  used,  we  teachers  must  in  some 
way  get  into  contact  with  the  mothers  of  our  children, 
that  their  religious  education  may  not  be  incomplete,  but 
that  it  may  enter  into  every  event,  every  relationship  and 
every  circumstance  that  touches  them. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  Compare  the  place  of  the  home  in  old  and  in  modern 
educational  schemes. 

2.  What  home  work,  if  any,  is  possible  for  little  children? 

3.  What  diflFercnt  ideal  for  home  work  have  you  than  the 
mere  learning  of  a  lesson  and  of  Scripture? 

4.  Mention  some  special  Bible  story,  tell  why  it  is  told,  and 
what  can  be  done  at  home  to  make  it  more  effective. 

5.  What  means  do  you  regard  as  most  effective  in  leading 
to  home  cooperation? 

6.  Make  out  a  program  for  an  ideal  mothers'  meeting. 


[145] 


LESSON  XXIII 

Festival  Days 

In  the  nature  of  things  there  must  he  holidays.  How 
poverty-stricken  is  that  soul  which  does  not  recognize 
this  tendency  and  throw  itself  heartily  into  the  work  of 
helping  forward  the  good  time  youth  and  unspoiled 
minds  accept  with  gratitude! — Florence  Hull  Winter- 
burn 

Are  Festivals  Important? 

Festival  days  are  the  delight  of  many  teachers  and  the 
bugbear  of  others.  There  are  teachers  who  seem  to 
regard  the  Sunday-school  curriculum  as  a  series  of  "con- 
certs," connected  by  drills  and  rehearsals,  and  consider 
a  good  year's  w^ork  accomplished  if  their  children  appear 
well  at  these  public  performances.  No  sooner  is  Rally 
Day  over  than  plans  are  laid  and  songs  rehearsed  for 
Christmas;  the  Christmas  tree  is  scarcely  turned  brown 
when  Easter  recitations  are  given  out;  nor  are  Easter 
lilies  faded  before  Children's  Day  drill  has  commenced. 
On  the  other  hand,  those  teachers  who  consider  public 
appearances  a  positive  harm  to  little  children  and  drill 
in  songs  and  recitations  in  no  sense  a  part  of  their 
religious  education,  dread  instead  of  anticipate  festival 
days,  or  refuse  to  allow  their  children  to  appear  publicly 
then.    These  are  the  two  extremes.     Is  there  any  inter- 

[146] 


FESTIVAL   DAYS 

mediate  position,  or  must  we  all  take  sides  for  or  against 
the  observance  of  special  days?  Discuss  frankly  your 
own  feeling. 

We  should  first  consider  the  importance  of  festival 
days  in  little  children's  lives.  A^^at  day  of  all  the  year 
should  you  say  is  dearest  to  them?  Next  to  Christmas 
doesn't  Thanksgiving  hold  the  most  important  place? 
Is  Easter  a  little  child's  festival?  Children's  Day  w^as 
inaugurated  for  little  as  well  as  older  children,  and  Rally 
Day  usually  means  at  the  present  time  Promotion  Day, 
in  which  even  the  Beginners'  grade  has  a  part.  The 
courses  of  study  for  little  children  take  into  consideration 
the  importance  of  special  days  in  their  lives;  indeed,  they 
are  largely  based  upon  special  days  and  seasons,  preced- 
ing Thanksgiving  with  lessons  on  God's  care,  thus  lead- 
ing up  to  a  spirit  of  thankfulness;  explaining  Christmas 
by  stories  of  the  Child  Jesus;  and  letting  Easter  teach 
its  lesson  of  continuous  life.  Do  you  consider  this  suffi- 
cient observance  of  these  days,  or  do  you  wish  some  more 
public  recognition? 

Those  who  argue  on  the  side  of  public  observance 
claim  that  the  children's  interest  is  retained  by  this  means, 
that  the  Sunday  school  is  brought  to  people's  attention, 
and  that  parents  are  pleased  by  their  children's  perform- 
ances. The  importance  of  the  interest  and  cooperation 
of  parents  was  considered  in  the  last  lesson.  How  many 
of  you  think  that  public  performances  are  essential  to 
this  interest?  May  they  arouse  enthusiasm  in  some 
parents  who  would  otherv/ise  be  indifferent?  Might 
parents  be  enthusiastic  over  their  children's  public  appear- 
ance who  have  no  conception  of  the  importance  of  their 
religious  education?     Is  there  something  in  the  argument 

[147] 


LESSONS   FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

that  the  Sunday  school  needs  attention  called  to  it?  Do 
you  consider  it  legitimate  to  advertise  such  an  institution? 
Isn't  there  a  certain  value  in  making  people  realize  that 
the  Sunday  school  is  accomplishing  something? 

The  first  consideration  must  always  be  the  effect  upon 
the  children.  Have  you  seen  any  disastrous  effects  from 
public  celebration  of  special  days  upon  shy  children?  for- 
w^ard  children?  Would  you,  therefore,  banish  every- 
thing of  the  sort  and  confine  the  festival  observances  to 
the  children's  own  lesson  in  their  own  room?  Would 
you  under  any  circumstances  advise  substituting  such  ex- 
ercises for  the  regular  lesson? 

If  these  festivals  are  valuable  for  little  children,  any- 
thing that  helps  them  to  feel  the  spirit  of  the  day  is  im- 
portant. Is  this  done  more  surely  through  the  regular 
lessons  or  through  general  exercises?  If  a  public  cele- 
bration ever  occurs,  would  you,  then,  insist  upon  its  be- 
ing at  a  different  hour  from  the  Sunday-school  session? 
May  it  be  true  that  the  character  and  manner  of  pre- 
paring for  and  conducting  such  celebrations  determine 
their  benefit  or  harm? 

Different  Types  of  Services 

Suppose  we  talk  about  different  types  of  services  for 
special  days.  And  right  here  it  may  be  said  that  there 
is  a  distinction  in  the  very  titles,  exercise  and  service. 
There  is  the  exercise  whose  purpose  is  to  exhibit  the 
children.  It  is  most  truly  an  "exercise,"  for  it  taxes 
them  to  their  utmost  ability  and  requires  much  rehearsal 
and  drill.  The  aim  of  those  who  "get  up"  such  an  exer- 
cise, and  it  is  quite  frankly  and  laboriously  planned  for 
and  worked  over,  is  to  make  a  good  impression  upon  the 

[148] 


FESTIVAL   DAYS 

audience.  The  reward  they  covet  is  the  comment,  "How 
well  the  children  did!  You  are  to  be  congratulated 
that  you  have  drilled  them  so  patiently."  Fond  parents 
hear  with  delight  enconiums  upon  their  children's  powers, 
or,  if  they  have  failed  to  achieve  anything  noteworthy  in 
recitation  or  song,  upon  their  general  attractiveness,  their 
good  looks  or  their  clothes.  The  material  used  for  this 
type  of  exercise  is  commonly  of  ephemeral  value.  The 
emphasis  is  laid  upon  the  perfect  rendering  of  the  songs 
and  poems  rather  than  the  thought  in  them.  Children 
so  drilled  recite  their  ''pieces"  at  home  or  sing  the  songs 
for  the  edification  of  visitors.  Is  the  effect  upon  the 
children  educational  ?  helpful  in  inspiring  the  spirit  of  the 
season?     Doesn't  it  create  a  desire  to  show  off? 

There  is  another  type  of  service  which  is  a  sort  of 
review  of  the  work  done  in  Sunday  school.  The  children 
recite  the  Bible  verses  they  have  learned  and  the  songs 
they  know,  and  perhaps  even  retell  some  of  the  stories, 
with  the  teacher's  assistance.  It  can  be  made  a  mere  ex- 
ercise, in  which  the  children  show  what  they  know,  or  it 
may  be  a  real  service  of  song  and  verse.  This  depends 
almost  entirely  upon  the  teacher's  attitude  and  her  man- 
ner of  conducting  the  rehearsals.  Each  rehearsal  should 
partake  more  of  the  nature  of  a  service  than  a  drill,  and 
more  said  about  the  words  spoken  or  sung  than  the  way 
in  which  they  are  given. 

On  Children's  Day  and  Rally  or  Promotion  Day  the 
little  children's  part  should  always  be  something  they  are 
familiar  with,  in  order  to  be  a  real  service.  A  combination 
of  song  and  Bible  verse  similar  to  what  they  are  accus- 
tomed to  in  the  circle  talk  will  make  the  public  perform- 
ance seem   like   Sunday   school,    and   the   children   will 

[  149] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

appear  natural  and  not  be  self-conscious.  If  the  Children's 
Day  service  comes  in  the  morning,  they  can  be  told  that 
instead  of  the  minister  reading  from  the  Bible,  they  are 
to  repeat  the  Bible  verses  they  know  about  the  heavenly 
Father,  Jesus,  the  children's  Friend,  etc.,  and  that  they  are 
to  sing  some  of  their  songs  to  God,  just  as  the  choir 
usually  sings.  The  calling  of  each  child's  name  by  the 
teacher,  as  it  is  time  for  his  verse,  brings  about  a  homelike 
feeling.  But  what  of  the  child  who  makes  an  amusing  mis- 
take, or  refuses  to  take  his  part  ?  We  know  only  too  well 
the  ripple  of  laughter  which  passes  over  an  audience  at 
such  an  occurrence,  the  flushed  face  or  tears  of  the  shy 
child,  and  the  proud  smile  of  the  child  who  likes  to  at- 
tract attention.  Can  an  audience  be  made  to  realize  the 
importance  of  their  reception  of  the  children's  part  in  the 
service?  On  certain  Children's  Day  programs  was 
printed  the  following  note: 

"The  children  consider  this  a  service  and  not  a  per- 
formance, and  the  congregation  is  requested  to  help  them 
in  this  worshipful  attitude." 

Have  you  any  better  plan  for  making  the  older  people 
understand  the  need  of  care  on  their  part? 

Easter,  Thanksgiving  and  Christmas 

As  for  Easter,  this  hardly  seems  a  festival  in  which 
little  children  should  take  a  public  part,  as  they  cannot  in 
the  least  comprehend  the  teaching  of  that  day  for  older 
ones.     Is  this  your  view? 

Happily,  few  of  us  have  acquired  the  habit  of  a 
Thanksgiving  concert,  as  this  festival  comes  too  near 
Christmas  to  make  it  either  necessary  or  practical  in  the 
eyes  of  those  bent  upon  advertising  the  Sunday  school 

[150] 


FESTIVAL    DAYS 

and  affording  the  children  a  chance  to  make  themselves 
prominent. 

As  to  Christmas,  what  is  the  great  peril  for  our  chil- 
dren at  this  season?  Is  it  not  over-excitement?  And 
shall  we  increase  that  tendency  by  public  performances, 
where  there  are  "pieces"  to  be  remembered  and  much 
practising  to  be  done?  Shall  we  not  rather  keep  the 
celebration  very  simple,  insist  upon  a  Christmas  lesson 
in  their  own  room,  to  which  parents  may  be  invited,  and 
where  there  may  be  special  decorations  and  the  right 
Christmas  spirit?  Don't  you  think  this  the  best  Christ- 
mas Sunday  observance  for  our  children?  How  many  of 
your  Sunday  schools  have  also  a  Christmas  tree  or  a  Christ- 
mas party?  Do  you  have  the  little  ones  by  themselves, 
or  do  all  meet  together?  If  5'ou  meet  alone,  need  there 
be  anything  but  the  tree,  with  perhaps  some  old  songs 
and  a  story?  If  the  Sunday  school  is  so  small  that  it 
seems  wise  for  all  to  meet  together,  and  the  little  children 
are  expected  to  take  a  part  in  the  entertainment  preceding 
the  distribution  of  gifts,  can't  they  do  something  simple, 
requiring  little  if  any  practise?  They  may  assist  in 
telling  a  story,  by  taking  the  part  of  the  toys  or  animals 
that  figure  in  it,  or  they  may  act  out  a  song  in  pantomime. 
Whatever  they  do  should  be  of  such  a  nature  that  it  is 
pleasurable  and  not  an  exertion. 

For,  as  we  said  long  ago,  it  is  the  spirit  of  these  festi- 
vals that  we  wish  to  foster,  if  they  are  to  leave  any  im- 
pression on  the  children,  and  it  is  the  children's  good 
which  must  be  our  first  consideration  in  planning  for 
these  special  days. 


risi] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  State  your  opinion   of  the   importance   for   little  children 
of  observing  festival  dajs. 

2.  Should  the  effect  of  their  observance  upon  parents  or  the 
Sunday  school   be   at   all   considered? 

3.  Describe  the  type  of  service  you  think  worth  while. 

4.  Tell  how  a  teacher  may  keep  her  children  natural  in  such 
an  exercise. 

5.  Make  out  an   appropriate  service  for  the  Beginners'   de- 
partment on  Promotion  Day. 

6.  Give  your  ideas  for  the  Beginners  at  the  Christmas  tree 
entertainment. 


[I3«] 


LESSON  XXIV 

The  Children's  Response 

And  these  are  they  that  were  sown  upon  the  good 
ground;  such  as  hear  the  word,  and  accept  it,  and  bear 
fruit. — The  Words  of  Jesus 

Our  Aim 

We  have  had  so  many  consecutive  lessons  on  method 
and  management  that  it  seems  wise,  lest  wt  become  over- 
absorbed  in  detail,  to  consider  again  the  reason  for  our 
teaching  and  the  measure  of  our  success.  "We  teach 
and  teach  until,  like  droning  pedagogues,  we  lose  the 
sense  that  what  we  teach  and  learn  hath  other  use  than 
being  taught  and  learned." 

We  must  hark  back  to  the  very  beginning  of  our  course 
of  lessons  to  discover  this  reason  in  the  child  himself  and 
his  instinctive  demand  for  religion.  And  what  is  our 
measure  of  success?  Not  the  perfection  of  our  equip- 
ment and  organization,  not  the  adequacy  of  our  curricu- 
lum, not  the  logical  sequence  of  our  program,  not  the 
efficiency  of  our  methods — not  any  or  all  of  these  things, 
but  rather  the  response  of  the  children. 

Does  this  mean  that  w^c  must  turn  out  model  children 
or  consider  ourselves  as  having  failed  in  our  task? 
Whenever  we  teachers  find  ourselves  model,  we  may  ex- 
pect our  children  to  be.     Does  this  mean  that,  at  the  end 

[153] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

of  our  course,  we  shall  produce  a  graduating  class  that 
can  recite  perfectly  a  certain  amount  of  Scripture?  Pos- 
sibly, but  the  response  we  want  is  one  of  feeling  rather 
than  knowledge. 

When  we  speak  of  coveting  the  child's  response,  \ve 
mean  the  response  of  his  spiritual  rather  than  intellectual 
nature,  which  will  show  itself  both  in  feeling  and  con- 
duct. This  does  not  underestimate  in  the  least  the  im- 
portance of  the  response  of  the  intellect  or  the  vital  part 
played  in  education  by  interest.  It  simply  rates  these 
things  as  means  to  an  end — that  end  the  realization  of 
God,  for  which  we  have  before  used  Mrs.  Houghton's 
felicitous  phrase,  "God-consciousness";  and  the  desire  to 
be  God-like  or  the  love  of  goodness.  These  tv/o  things 
are  elemental  and  profoundly  religious,  for  they  spell 
spirituality  and  the  basis  of  Christian  character. 

A  Child's  Feeling  toward  God 

To  regard  God  as  the  most  important  factor  of  every- 
day life  spiritualizes  each  circumstance  and  condition. 
This  v/as  the  attitude  of  the  Hebrews  toward  life,  and, 
though  it  did  not  make  them  perfect  human  beings,  it 
gave  them  such  a  deep  spirituality  that  we  owe  to  them 
the  great  revelation  of  God  found  in  the  Bible.  Mention 
men  who  have  possessed  in  a  marked  degree  this  quality 
— if  quality  it  may  be  called — of  God-consciousness,  as 
Phillips  Brooks,  whose  response  to  this  Vv-as  a  v/onderful 
spirit  which  blossomed  in  helpful  Christian  deeds  of  a 
rare  order. 

In  an  early  lesson  we  argued  that  children  are  instinc- 
tively  reaching  out  after  God  by  their  wondering  ques- 
tions concerning  the  cause  and  origin  of  things.     If  we 

[154] 


THE    CHILDREN'S    RESPONSE 

have  satisfied  them  by  naming  the  God  they  seek,  and 
through  story,  song,  Bible  verse,  conversation  and  prayer 
making  him  real,  their  response  will  be  very  natural. 
Father  and  mother,  sister  and  brother  vi^ill  hold  scarcely 
a  more  important  place  in  their  lives  than  does  the 
heavenly  Father.  That  he  is  invisible  makes  him  no  less 
real  to  them,  for  they  live  in  a  world  of  invisibility, 
of  animism.  To  them  stars  feel,  stones  think,  flowers 
love,  behind  everything  is  a  thought,  in  all  is  feel- 
ing. What  could  be  more  natural  than  a  loving,  invisible 
Father,  caring  for  his  children?  And  here  all  about  is 
his  handiwork — flowers  arising  from  apparently  lifeless 
seeds;  a  carpet  of  green  grass  and  a  shade  of  green  foli- 
age; rain,  snow,  wind  and  cloud  with  all  their  mystery 
of  source;  bird  and  beast  and  insect  equipped  with  every 
means  of  existence  and  the  instinct  for  preserving  it; 
stars  twinkling  in  immeasurable  space. 

What  has  been  your  children's  response  to  this  concep- 
tion of  the  universe?  This  response  cannot  always  be 
discovered  by  the  children's  remarks,  as  their  deepest 
feelings  are  usually  inarticulate.  A  chance  question  or 
comment  will  often  betray  their  state  of  mind.  A  certain 
look  in  the  wondering  eyes  or  the  way  the  word  God  is 
spoken — not  in  awed  accents,  but  in  a  friendly  and  lov- 
ing fashion — shows  the  place  he  holds  in  a  child's  heart. 
I  have  known  people  to  speak  and  write  slightingly  of  a 
child's  conception  of  God  and  question  the  possibility  of 
his  thoughts  being  occupied  with  anything  but  material 
surroundings  and  interests.  From  such  a  person  a  child 
instinctively  hides  these  thoughts,  for  as  susceptible  to 
ridicule  or  misunderstanding  as  the  sensitive  plant  is  to 
rough  handling  is  the  confidence  of  a  little  child.     On« 

[155] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

who  has  retained  this  confidence  through  sympathy  will 
be  anything  but  skeptical  in  regard  to  the  reality  of  a 
child's  religious  feeling. 

"I  have  brought  you  some  of  God's  leaves,"  said  a 
small  boy  to  his  teacher. 

We  were  picking  strawberries  on  the  hill — wild 
strawberries,  like  drops  of  honey.  "Doesn't  heavenly 
Father  make  these  strawberries  nice!"  commented  Char- 
lotte. 

We  were  looking  at  the  sunflowers,  and  I  spoke  of  how 
they  sowed  themselves  and  grew  and  blossomed  year  after 
year,  with  no  care.  "But  the  heavenly  Father  is  working 
pretty  hard  all  the  time,"  said  Barbara. 

I  was  playfully  chiding  a  little  friend  for  forgetting 
something  we  had  seen  together,  w^hen,  to  my  surprise, 
her  eyes  suddenly  grew  serious  as  she  said,  "I  don't  for- 
get the  heavenly  Father." 

In  children's  prayers  we  see  their  confidence  in  God's 
power  to  banish  sickness,  to  afiFord  protection,  to  temper 
the  beam  of  the  sun  and  to  stop  the  blowing  of  the  wind. 
Thanksgiving  is  referred  to  as  "Heavenly  Father's  Day," 
fear  allayed  by  the  consciousness  of  God's  watchful  care, 
and  every  blessing  traced  with  trustful  certainty  to  the 
Giver  of  all  good. 

The  Response  of  Condnct 

And  yet  the  consciousness  of  God's  presence  and  love 
for  him  is  not  the  whole  of  a  child's  religion.  We  want 
the  response  of  action.  .  Our  teaching  is  far  too  apt  to  be 
academic  only.  "They  know  the  stories  and  can  recite 
the  Bible  verses  and  sing  well,"  we  say  with  proud 
satisfaction,  when  what  is  the  aim  of  it  all?       Isn't  it 

[156] 


THE    CHILDREN'S    RESPONSE 

growth  in  character?  What  great  gain  wH  there  be  if 
we  simply  arouse  feeling?  We  do  not  desire  children 
that  have  merely  knowledge;  neither  do  we  wish  a  set  of 
emotional  children;  we  prefer  children  that  act. 

Do  we  then  expect  an  immediate  and  continuous  re- 
sponse in  conduct?  Do  you  find  jour  children  a  little 
more  helpful  after  each  of  a  group  of  stories  on  helpful- 
ness? Shall  we  see  an  instantaneous  unselfish  act  follow 
our  lesson  on  that  subject,  and  prompt  obedience  the  re- 
sult of  a  story  illustrating  that  virtue?  How  is  it  with  our- 
selves? Do  we  respond  immediately  to  the  fine  sermon 
or  touching  song  or  inspiring  book?  Isn't  our  next  act 
often  a  petty  one?  Has  the  inspiration,  then,  gone  for 
nothing?  Not  at  all.  The  great  difference  is  that  we 
feel  our  pettiness  as  never  before.  The  result  of  having 
our  ideal  raised  is  discontent  and  contrition  at  not  reach- 
ing that  ideal,  which  leads  eventually  to  greater  effort 
and  hence  greater  success.  We  certainly  cannot  expect 
more  of  our  children  than  of  ourselves.  To  help  them 
distinguish  between  right  and  wrong;  to  make  right 
attractive  and  desirable  and  wrong  unalluring  and  de- 
testable; to  arouse  sorrow  and  dissatisfaction  in  wrong- 
doing and  content  in  approaching  the  right — that  is  our 
aim,  and  all  the  response  we  can  expect. 

After  all,  don't  you  find  in  yourself  that  the  only  effec- 
tive incentive  to  goodness  is  love  of  goodness?  If  we 
have  awakened  the  response  of  love  of  right  in  our  chil- 
dren, we  may  well  feel  satisfied,  even  if  their  acts  do  not 
always  bear  this  out.  Their  ideas  in  regard  to  unself- 
ishness and  kindness,  obedience  and  helpfulness  will 
often   be  quaintly  expressed. 

Mayette's  older  sister  once  said  her  Bible  verse  in  this 

[157] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

way — **Be  ye  kind  one  to  another,  and  another  means 
Mayette." 

"I'd  hit  any  dog  that  tried  to  hurt  my  cat,"  said  a 
sturdy  little  protector. 

"I  feed  the  birds  every  day,"  said  a  small  boy;  "not 
the  pigeons,  those  are  father's,  but  the  wild  birds;  they 
are  God's  birds  and  mine." 

Social  Service 

In  Sunday  school  itself  the  actual  working  out  of  the 
virtues  inculcated  is  possible.  Obedience  to  the  teacher, 
while  made  delightful,  is  obligatory,  for  freedom  does 
not  banish  discipline,  but  rather  necessitates  it.  Giving 
up  one's  own  desires  for  the  social  good  is  actually  prac- 
tised in  Sunday  school  by  joining  in  the  song  that  isn't 
one's  favorite  because  another  child  chooses  it;  by  wait- 
ing patiently  with  the  incident  of  home  life  one  is  so 
eager  to  relate  till  another  child  has  an  opportunity  to 
tell  his  tale;  by  using  the  self-control  necessary  to  attend 
quietly  to  the  story;  by  telling  some  of  it  even  when  one 
is  shy.  We  teachers,  too,  are  exemplifying  good  or  bad 
traits  all  the  while.  Are  we  always  patient?  just?  con- 
siderate? sj^mpathetic ?  encouraging?  firm?  tactful? 

Perhaps  where  we  all  fail  is  in  making  the  most  of 
opportunities  for  this  social  service — for  it  seems  to  me  the 
little  child's  ideal  relationship  with  others  in  Sunday 
school  constitutes  this.  His  social  service  will  also  in- 
clude deeds  of  happy  helpfulness  to  the  family  circle, 
caring  for  pets,  the  making  of  gifts  to  friends.  This  may 
be  extended  somewhat  to  gifts  or  kind  deeds  to  other  chil- 
dren. Which  is  preferable  at  this  age — gifts  to  foreign 
children,  necessitating  some  account  of  their  customs  and 

[158] 


A   LITTLE    HELPER 


THE    CHILDREN'S    RESPONSE 

manners  or  help  for  children  near  by,  like  the  children 
themselves,  only  afflicted  in  some  way — poor,  sick  or 
without  parents?  Which  will  naturally  awaken  more 
interest?  Isn't  the  logical  sequence  interest  widening 
from  those  near  at  hand  to  those  farther  away  ?  A  child's 
courtesy  to  the  postman,  the  grocer's  boy,  the  clerks,  of 
whom  he  makes  small  purchases,  is  a  part  of  his  social 
service.  His  gifts  of  a  chubby  handful  of  flov/ers  or 
some  handiwork  painstakingly  fashioned,  his  feeding  the 
winter  birds,  his  picking  up  his  own  toys,  his  careful 
nurture  of  garden  plants,  all  these  are  distinctly  the  so- 
cial service  of  a  little  child,  the  first  step  toward  the  more 
extended  service  of  future  j^ears. 

What  can  the  Beginners'  department  do  besides  in- 
spiring through  stories  and  conversation  to  such  acts? 
Can  it  undertake  any  special  gift-making  at  Christmas? 
Thanksgiving?  Easter?  Let  us  remember  that  money 
given  by  the  parents  is  not  as  much  the  child's  gift  as  the 
flower  he  has  picked  for  the  hospital,  the  scrap-book  he 
has  helped  make  for  the  sick  friend,  the  toys  he  has 
played  with  and  enjoyed  and  passes  en  to  another  child. 

To  recapitulate,  we  only  approach  successful  teachers 
as  we  see  in  our  children  the  response  of  a  consciousness 
of  God  in  the  world  and  in  their  lives,  the  love  of  good- 
ness and  a  delight  in  activities  that  tend  toward 
the  well-being  and  happiness  of  others. 

Co-workers  we  are  with  Him!     Were  he  to  ask, 

"Come,  star  with  me  the  spaces  of  my  night, 

Or  light  with  me  tomorrow's  sunset  glow. 

Or  fashion   forth  the  crystals  of  my  snow, 

Or  teach  my  sweet  June-roses  next  to  blow," — 

Oh,  rare  beatitude!     But  holier  task, 

Of  all  his  works  of  beauty  fairest — high, 

[159] 


LESSONS  FOR  TEACHERS  OF  BEGINNERS 

Is  that  he  keeps  for  hands  like  ours  to  ply! 
When  he  upgathers   all   his  elements, 
His  days,  his  nights,  whole  eons  of  his  June, 
The  Mighty  Gardener  of  the  earth  and  sky, 
That  to   achieve  toward  which  the   ages  roll. 
We  hear  thy  voice  that  sets  the  spheres  a-tune, — 
"Help  me,  my  comrades,  flower  this  little  Soul !" 

—JV.   C.  Gannett. 

QUESTIONS  FOR  DISCUSSION,  REPORTS  OR  PAPERS 

1.  What  kind  of  response  on  the  children's  part  determines 
our  success  as  teachers? 

2.  Give    some    evidences   you    have   witnessed    of    a     child's 
feeling  toward  God. 

1.     What   effect  will    a   consciousness   of   God   have   upon    a 
little  child? 

4.  In  what  degree  can  we  expect  a  response  to  our  teaching 
in  conduct? 

5.  What  in  your  opinion  constitutes  the  social  service  of  a 
little  child? 

6.  In  such  social  service  how  much  of  the  element  of  self- 
sacrifice  can  we  expect? 


ti6o] 


Date  Due 

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